Naruto: An Uprising Shinobi
by Jamesco1292002
Summary: What if things were different? What if Team 7 was a four-man team? What if Sakura wasn't on the Team. What if there were more Jutsu? What if Naruto was more serious and smarter too? What if there was someone who was always by his side, ready to defend and encourage him? What if there was a new bloodline limit? What if all these questions were answered? AU, some OCs introduced.
1. Chapter 1

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast Talking"**

'**Tailed Beast Thinking'**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**A/N: **Everyone thanks for reading this but let's clear some facts first.

1\. Teams' setup will be slightly different from canon.

2\. An OC will be introduced.

3\. Some characters will be slightly OOC (Out Of Character).

4\. May not follow canon. I may add and subtract some features there and here but still basically the same thing.

5\. All the characters are a year older, so please take note of it.

6\. And most importantly the disclaimer I don't own Naruto, I own only my OC and stuff related to him.

[+]

**Chapter 1: Team 7 begins**

[+]

**March 5**

|Shinobi Academy|

"Now Team 7 will be made up of Naruto Uzumaki..." Iruka said, gaining the attention of the blonde boy.

'Please Sakura-chan, please Sakura-chan.' Naruto chanted to himself.

".. Hinata Hyuga..."

Naruto and Hinata both exchanged a quick glance, their respective thoughts being:

'Well she doesn't insult me or calls me names, so that's great.' The blonde said to himself smiling a bit at the Hyuga girl.

'I'm with Naruto-kun, I'm with Naruto-kun.' The Hyuga internally squeaked, trying desperately not to faint.

"…Sasuke Uchiha…"

Those thoughts were quickly replaced by-

"WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Both Naruto and Sasuke cried simultaneously.

"Iruka-sensei please, anybody but Teme!" Naruto begged.

"Iruka-sensei, please no..." Sasuke said hands grabbing his face in annoyance.

"If you have a problem with the squad formations, take it up with the Third." Iruka said not looking up from the list he was holding.

Realizing that was a polite way of saying 'You're not getting a group swap', both Naruto and Sasuke sat back on their seats, glaring at each other.

"... And finally…"

[+]

**(Alright folks the moment we have all been waiting, it is time to declare the winner of the final slot on Team 7 and the winner is …... will be announced after this short break.**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**Wait a minute this isn't a game show)**

[+]

This was it, the final slot, the last chance to be on Sasuke's team. All the fan girls in the class had their fingers crossed, muttering prayers to Kami, which one of them is going to be with their beloved Sasuke-kun.

"… Atsushi Kishida…" Iruka finished up.

Almost everyone in the class glanced to the boy sitting beside Naruto on the right. The boy in question had medium short forest green hair, slightly tanned skin and a pair of green pupil eyes on his face. He wore an open, blue short sleeved jacket with a green T-shirt underneath. He also had dark brown shorts with bandages covering the exposed parts and blue shinobi boots.

If anyone could describe the green-haired with one word, it will be 'likeable'. Atsushi was known for being hardworking and level-headed, as well as his prowess as a shinobi. He was actually a few points from earning the 'Rookie of the Year' title, which Sasuke ended up receiving because of slightly better grades. Apart from that the two were pretty much equal in aspects regarding their ninja skills.

However, unlike Sasuke, Atsushi had a sense of humor, lacked arrogance and was friendly even to the extent of becoming friends with Naruto who was considered the dead last and avoided as such. To top it all up, he wasn't bad-looking in his own terms, or at least that was what he heard from the female students.

As an orphan whose parents were killed in action, Atsushi had seen the harsh side of life just like Naruto, which is one of the qualities that attracted the two to each another. Atsushi being very dedicated to his career spent the most of his time either training with the blonde or his Oji-san (Uncle), reading ninja oriented books, such as survival guides and jutsu theories.

[+]

(Back to the class)

Looks like Kami didn't answer any fan girls' prayers as groans of disappointment from Sasuke's fan girls echoed across the class. The now identified Atsushi swore he saw what looked like a smile of relief on the Uchiha's face before people began to whisper about the members of Team 7.

"A four man cell?"

"Has that ever happened before?"

"Over 50 years ago to be precise."

"Why is Hinata in the same team as Sasuke, she doesn't even like him!" A fan girl asked.

"Naruto and Sasuke on the same team? Who came up with that?" said another.

'At least those two won't hold be back.' Sasuke thought as he glanced at Hinata then Atsushi. Hinata happened to be the only girl who wasn't on his fan club since she had a crush on someone else, so she wouldn't try to gain his attention and Atsushi was Naruto's best friend (Only true friend actually) but he was a lot quieter, calmer and smarter than the blonde, plus Atsushi rarely bothered him for anything. The boy had even proven to be difficult to beat during their weekly sparring sessions, always coming second to the Uchiha. So that only leaves Naruto…

"Iruka-sensei!" A random boy called, "Why is Team 7 a four man cell?" the other members of the class quieted down as they also wanted to know.

"Well, that would be because we have a total of 28 students at the end of this year. We couldn't let one student out, so we were obligated to create a team of four members. Hokage-sama decided that placing Naruto with Hinata, Atsushi and Sasuke was the best thing to do due to his late graduation." Iruka explained.

[+]

[Flashback]

**48 hours ago, March 3**

Naruto slapped his face a couple of times before entering the exam room. He stood in front of the table where Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei sat with fresh Hidden Leaf Forehead Protectors right in front of them. He was going to get one this time. He had too.

The final exam comprised of the Henge, Substitution and Clone Jutsu.

"Ok, Naruto, let's see your Clone Jutsu." Iruka stated after the first two had been performed flawlessly.

Naruto nodded his head and held the necessary hand seals. He concentrated as blue chakra swirled around him ferociously.

"Clone Jutsu!"He screamed out.

When he opened his eye he saw an image of himself just barely standing up, looking a little muted, but to his right was a copy flat on the floor like a dead fish, lacking all color.

Mizuki chuckled. "I mean it's better than last time."

"But he only pulled off two while the least requirement is three which everyone else did," Iruka chimed in. "Can't you see, Mizuki, one of them looks like it's been drinking for three hours straight, and the other is just pathetic."

Naruto was piqued with Iruka's harsh critiques.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I see you're improved but you still fail."

"Come on, Iruka. Let the kid have it," Mizuki said, trying to persuade Iruka.

"Mizuki, these clones would not fool anyone in the ninja world and that's kind of the whole point of the jutsu. I'm sorry but he is not passing this year."

Naruto held his head low and walked out the room sulkily. As he opened the door, he saw Atsushi in front of him. The Kishida was excited to see his friend's new forehead protector, but his facial expression took a turn when he saw Naruto with his head held low.

"I'm sorry Naruto." He reached out to give him a hug but the Uzumaki shrugged him off.

"Not now, Atsushi… I just want to be alone right now." Atsushi just watched as he saw his best friend shuffle out of the Academy with his head low.

[+]

**Evening**

|Red Light District, Konoha|

Naruto sat gloomily by himself on top of his apartment building thinking about the test. How can he have still failed? He even produced a clone standing up this time! 'Stupid Iruka-sensei.' Naruto thought as he swung his legs over the ledge wondering what his next step was after this. Just as the sun was setting, Mizuki appeared next to him. The Chunin sat down on the edge next to him for a few seconds before speaking up.

"Naruto, I know you are bummed out about the test, but Iruka means well with his grading. I think he pushes you because he sees a little of himself in you."

"Well, I think he pushes a little too hard. I tried so much more compared to last year and it still wasn't enough. I trained so much, Mizuki-sensei but I couldn't make a stupid clone." Naruto replied as he started to tear-up about his wasted effort. Mizuki smiled, it was all going according to plan.

"Well, Naruto, there is one way to graduate without taking the exam." Tears stopped flowing as the Uzumaki turned to him surprised. "A secret test straight to being a Genin. All you have to do is this..."

[+]

|Residential District, Konoha|

It was past dusk in the Hidden Leaf Village. The hustle and bustle of the day time died down as families began heading home and the night life started to come alive in full swing. Lampposts lit up the streets for citizens and ninja enjoying the cool spring night. During this time, there was the Kishida's residence with all its lights out, slumbering into the night, until an inconvenience decided to interrupt a particular person's sleep. Knocking on the window glass was what awoke Atsushi from his blissful sleep. He opened the window blinds to see Naruto sitting on his windowsill ledge.

"Naruto? Why the hell are you doing here?" Atsushi asked sleepily, wiping away the sleep in his eyes.

"I need your help. Mizuki assigned me a new graduation test." Naruto answered.

"Why would he do that? And why are you up so late then?"

"I don't know Atsushi but this may be my only chance to pass this year. He gave me all the details about what to do and where to go."

The green-haired yawned loudly, "And what are you supposed to do?"

Naruto climbed into his room. "He said I just need to get a scroll," The blonde paused to think, "The Scroll of Sealing, I think, and then go to the spot he said near the outskirts of the village and learn a jutsu."

"And you expect me to just get up in the middle of the night and help you?" Atsushi questioned with his arms crossed, wanting nothing more than just to lay back on his comfy bed and dream away the night.

Naruto stood still. "Uh… Yes. We are friends remember? And friends help each other."

Atsushi walked and sat on the edge of his bed, "Naruto, this might be one mission you have to do on your own."

"But-"

"NO! I'm tired and want nothing more than to fall asleep." The Kishida interrupted.

Naruto remained silent for some seconds then rubbed his chin conniving, "Come on, Sushi. Don't make me pull that card."

"Which card are you talking about?" Atsushi asked, his eyes narrowing a bit. Naruto smiled mischievously as Atsushi realized what he was thinking. "You wouldn't dare!"

"I would and I am pretty sure Ino would love to hear what you think about her?"

Atsushi glared daggers at the blonde. "I shouldn't have played truth or dare with you that day." The Kishida muttered before heading towards his wardrobe to grab his shinobi attire.

Seeing this made Naruto smile. "We all need our leverages, Sushi. Now hurry so we can go."

[+]

**2 hours later**

Iruka was lying in his bed all alone in his apartment, he was thinking about his orange student. 'Maybe I should have passed him; he did do a better deal than last time. If he just had more-' A loud banging against his door interrupted his thoughts. The scarred Chunin got up to find Mizuki on the other side clad in full ninja gear.

"Iruka, get ready quickly! Naruto and Atsushi stole the Scroll of Sealing."

[+]

**An hour earlier**

|Elsewhere, Konoha Forest|

Naruto was seated crossed legged, intensively studying the contents of the scroll as Atsushi kept an eye out for their teacher.

'Focus,' Naruto thought as he made a cross hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He called with his eyes closed.

Atsushi's eyes widened as several puffs of smoke surrounded Naruto, and when it dissipated there were five perfect clones of the Uzumaki. Naruto slowly opened his eyes and looked at the clones. The clones of Naruto all stared at each other before they all exploded in boisterous cheering.

"Yes, we did it." They all shouted. There were jumping, high-fives, and hugs all around amidst the clones.

"So, you can finally make clones now," Atsushi said with a smirk, "welcome to the club." One of the clones high-fived Atsushi who smiled then paused. "Wait, it didn't disappear, and I can feel it," Atsushi said with a confused look.

"So what?" Naruto replied.

Atsushi shook his head, "You don't pay attention do you?" Naruto had a puzzled look on his face. "The Clone Jutsu only makes images of the user. They can't affect matter in the world like real people can. I shouldn't be able feel the clone, the jutsu still isn't working."

Naruto looked at the scroll again, reading the text a second time. "It says it's the Shadow Clone Jutsu, maybe it's a whole different jutsu." Hearing that prompted Atsushi to analyze the clones. He lifted a finger and poked one in the face.

"Hey! What are you doing?" It said not liking the touch.

"They are solid." Atsushi looked the clone up and down and noticed another property. "Wait, they all have shadows. Normal clones don't have those."

Naruto chuckled, "Looks like I learned a jutsu way better than the Academy one."

Atsushi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever just remember the deal, It's your turn to keep watch, I need to learn some more."

The two switched places with Atsushi now sitting in front of the scroll and Naruto standing up to watch.

[+]

**An hour and 17 minutes later**

'Those boys,' Iruka growled mentally, 'This has got to be one of their most-' The chunin's line of thought was interrupted by a cry of praise.

"Nice work Atsushi, you got it down."

Iruka followed the voice and found Naruto admiring one of Atsushi's shadow clones.

"YOU TWO! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?" Iruka yelled using his Big Head no Jutsu.

"Um, taken the secret graduation test to become a Genin?" Naruto said sheepishly. "Atsushi helped me get the scroll but I learned the jutsu all by myself."

"Secret graduation test? Naruto, what are you talking about? You two stole the forbidden Scroll of Sealing!"

"Forbidden? Mizuki-sensei told Naruto all he had to do was to take the scroll and learn a jutsu to pass." Atsushi explained.

"Mizuki?"

A barrage of kunai was thrown towards the blonde boy. Iruka sensed them and shoved Naruto out of the way, taking the hit. Pinned and bloodied against, he looked up to see the culprit… Mizuki.

"Iruka? I didn't expect you to take the hit." Mizuki said as he hopped down from a tree branch. "Now, Naruto, I just need you to give me that scroll and you graduate."

The blonde was dumbfounded by what just occurred. "What's going on?"

"Why did you do that to Iruka-sensei?" Atsushi yelled.

"Because Mizuki lied, there is no secret graduation test. He was using you to get the scroll for himself." The younger ones stared at the blue-haired Chunin. "That scroll contains powerful ninjutsu that can cause a war if it falls in the wrong hands."

"I'll admit it, I did use you to get the scroll, but it's not like this is the deciding factor on why the village hates you." Mizuki said.

"Mizuki!" Iruka moaned as he pulled the kunai out of his arm and legs. "Don't tell him!"

"Tell me what? Just what is going on here?!" Naruto demanded.

"Even I'm confused by these events." Atsushi agreed.

"Well you see on the day Naruto was born, the Nine-Ta-"

"STUP UP MIZUKI!" Iruka yelled.

Mizuki ignored Iruka and continued, telling them that the Kyubi was sealed inside Naruto, how it destroyed the village, killing hundreds of ninja and citizens alike… and how it also killed Iruka's parents.

Once he was done Atsushi was rendered speechless while Naruto was shaking.

Naruto clenched his teeth. "NO!" He shouted his chakra whipping wildly out of control around him.

'Now it's time to do the village a favor by killing the fox.' Mizuki grabbed the Demon Windmill Shuriken on his back, and threw it full force with the intent to kill Naruto.

"NARUTO MOVE!" Iruka shouted.

Naruto stood there, frozen in fear, as he watched the weapon hurtled towards him. At the last second, Atsushi pushed Naruto out of the way as the giant Shuriken sailed over their heads. Naruto looked at his friend in shock and relief of being saved.

"Don't believe anything he says, Naruto. It's all bullshit." Atsushi said with a smile. "Not everyone in the village hates you. The Third cares about you, Iruka-sensei cares about you even I care about you. You have friends who really care about you."

He turned and faced Mizuki. "Everyone may have lied to him by not telling him the truth. People may not like him because he is the fox's jailer. But the fact that he has me and other friends is not a lie. The only liar I see here is you." Naruto teared up at how much Atsushi was defending him, "Naruto, Iruka's right. We need to return that scroll. Go, now!"

Naruto fled the clearing with the scroll and rushed into the forest with Mizuki in pursue. Atsushi ran over to Iruka to help him get unpinned from the wall. "We have to help Naruto, I will help you wrap up those wounds."

[+]

**Some moments later**

Iruka caught up to a fleeing Naruto. "Naruto, give me the scroll. I need to return it." Naruto stopped then charged straight into Iruka, causing him to fall to the forest floor. Iruka clenched his gut as he gasped for air. "How did you know...?" 'Iruka' then puffed into Mizuki, "that I wasn't Iruka?" Naruto smirked, "because I am." Naruto then transformed into Iruka. Iruka leaned against a tree to support him.

"I don't know why you think you can tame the beast." Mizuki growled. "He's angry now, and when beasts are angry they attack what causes their ire. In Naruto's case, the Hidden Leaf Village."

"Will you cut that out? Naruto is Naruto. Conniving little pranks that just got the short end of the stick. Despite his disadvantages, he works hard with such tenacity that I know he will accomplish a lot in his life. He's not the fox; he's Naruto Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf Village." Iruka shot back.

Behind a tree, Naruto quietly sobbed as Atsushi comforted him.

"Iruka, I've had enough of your nonsense." Mizuki pulled out his second shuriken from behind his back. "It's time I ended this partnership."

Just as he threw the shuriken aiming for Iruka's heart, Naruto sprang out from behind the tree and kneed Mizuki right in the face, throwing off Mizuki's trajectory, and causing the shuriken to veer off into the forest. Naruto stood in front of Iruka with Atsushi alongside him, both of them with scowls on their faces.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on our sensei!" Atsushi yelled out.

"If you do, I will kill you!" Naruto said with a threatening glare.

"Oh please! I can beat you down in one single move. I'm a Chunin and you two aren't even Genin!"

"Well, technically, I am a Genin," Atsushi mentioned, "either way, we can beat you if we work together." Atsushi nodded to Naruto who summoned hundreds of clones of himself that surrounded the Chunin. Iruka gazed in awe at the sheer amount of clones Naruto produced. 'He mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu?' The Narutos all cracked their fists. "Get ready, Mizuki-teme. You're about to go night-night."

"Hmm… still isn't enough." Atsushi said then produced three clones surprising Iruka once again, the horde of Narutos and the Atsushis all charged in.

"Wait, wait… WAIT!" Mizuki shouted but no one listened.

The clones ganged up on Mizuki until they were satisfied. Atsushi was treating Iruka's wounds as Naruto cowered over a beaten-up, bloodied Mizuki. "I think I got carried away," Naruto chuckled nervously. Atsushi and Iruka chuckled at the brutish blonde.

"Hey, Naruto, come here. There's something I want to give you. Close your eyes."

Naruto approached Iruka apprehensively and closed his eyes. "Look Iruka-sensei, I'm sorry for everything. I just wanted to become a ninja so that I was one step closer to being Hokage-"

"Well, I'm just here to congratulate you on becoming one step closer." Iruka interrupted.

"What?" When Naruto opened his eyes, Iruka was without his Forehead Protector. He reached towards his own to see that he had a Hidden Leaf headband on instead of his usual goggles.

"Since you mastered a form of the Clone Jutsu, I will let you graduate." Naruto and Atsushi smiled and hugged their teacher. "You kids had a long night, let's go get some ramen to celebrate."

"Iruka-sensei you sure you have enough money to handle Naruto's appetite?" Atsushi asked.

"HEY!"

"Good point Atsushi, hmm." Iruka approached Mizuki's unconscious form and took out the traitor's wallet, "This should be enough." The Chunin said before leading the two away as an ANBU dragged the traitor to the T&I department.

The Third Hokage smiled to himself as he watched the conclusion to the hectic caper of the stolen scroll unfold before him on his crystal ball. It seems the Kishida boy is a good influence on Naruto. Perhaps he can help him control his emotions and thus the seal.

After some bowls of Kami's food (according to Naruto) Iruka led the two back to the Hokage tower where Naruto handed the scroll over to the Third not without a quick apology for knocking him with his Sexy Jutsu which somehow amused Atsushi while shocking Iruka that the Hokage fell to such a perverted jutsu. Once the two Genin were out of earshot, Hiruzen called Iruka and requested that both boys be placed together in the same team.

[+]

[Flashback Ends]

**Present time**

"Hmpf, just don't get in my way, dobe." Of course Sasuke said that.

"WHAT WAS THAT, TEME!"

'Those two are going to be the end of each other.' Atsushi sighed in thought.

Iruka coughed gaining the attention of the class and putting an end to the argument before it began, after the class had claimed he called out the remaining teams.

"Team 8," Iruka began, "will be made up of Shino Aburame, Sakura Haruno and Kiba Inuzuka. Your sensei will be Kurenai Yuhi." Sakura wailed at not being on her dream team.

"Team 9 is still active from last year so we're going to move on," Iruka said, "Team 10 will be made up of Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, and Ino Yamanaka. Your sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi."

"Why am I stuck with these two lazy bums?" Ino moaned as she slammed her head on the desk.

"After lunch, you will meet your new Jonin-sensei. Until then, the class is dismissed!" He then tossed the paper, running out of the classroom shouting 'FREEDOM' only to be found some minutes crying when informed by a school official that he will be teaching a new class next year.

With that said, everyone left the classroom. Sakura and several other girls went outside looking for the raven haired to have lunch together. Sasuke being the one they were after hid himself from the horde of screeching fan girls. Naruto invited the rest of his teammates for some of his holy ramen which they accepted, well technically Atsushi was the only one who accepted, Hinata just fainted.

[+]

**2 hours and 30 minutes later**

"HE'S LATE!" Naruto yelled in frustration as he kept looking outside to see if their new sensei was coming. Hinata and Atsushi both watched him pace up and down the room; Sasuke was on his own releasing random grunts upon realizing that they were the only ones around.

"Don't w-worry Naruto-kun I'm s-sure he will soon be here." Hinata said as Naruto was still waiting by the door.

"Naruto, Hinata is right why don't take a sit." Atsushi added patting the chair between him and Hinata.

"Don't want to! How come our sensei is the only one late, all the other teams have gone off with their sensei on some adventure and Iruka-sensei is gone too!"

After that the two let him be and were occupied with their own thoughts concerning their team. Hinata could hardly believe her luck, she was on a team with her crush just like she wished for and she had also gone out with him for some ramen… with Atsushi of course.

Atsushi was grateful that none of Sasuke's banshees were on the team, if they were he wouldn't be able to tolerate any of them especially the pink haired. 'Speaking of Sakura, it was about time Naruto stopped being obsessed with her.' He thought.

However everyone's thoughts were interrupted by a dragging sound and the sight of Naruto standing on a chair placing a chalk eraser up against the wedge of the door frame.

"Naruto-kun? What are you doing?" Hinata asked, her pale eyes confused as she watched the hyperactive ninja.

"After falling for this he won't be late again."

"Naruto, I'm definitely sure that is not an appealing way to welcome our Sensei." Atsushi remarked.

"Moron, our Sensei is a Jonin, there is no way someone of such a high standard will fall for it." Sasuke added.

"Oh just you watch Teme, just you watch."

Sasuke sighed, "Idiot..."

Footsteps suddenly reverberated through the halls, alerting all four of the squad members to their teacher's presence. Naruto hushed everyone and took a sit.

The door opened and a silver haired man walked in.

**Fwoosh!**

Only to be covered in chalk powder.

"Ha! You fell for it!" Naruto laughed while the rest were shocked.

'So this is one of Naruto pranks in action, funny though.' Hinata thought, trying to suppress a giggle.

Atsushi gaped, 'It actually worked?'

Sasuke frowned at man saying nothing but on the inside. 'He fell for that stupid trick? Is he really a Jonin?'

Kakashi stared at the members of his team before speaking up, "First time I'm meeting you guys and I hate you all." The blond's laughter died down as everyone sweat dropped at the statement.

"Meet me on the roof in five minutes." The silver haired said before body flickering away.

[+]

**5 minutes later**

|Academy's roof top|

"Okay." Kakashi began, "Why don't we introduce ourselves?"

"Why don't you go first sensei? Just to clear some things." Naruto asked not too sure about the whole 'introduction' thing.

"Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. The things I like… you aren't supposed to know that, the things I hate… don't feel like telling you. My dreams for the future ... I never really thought about it. My hobbies… I have a lot actually…"

"Is that it?" Atsushi asked noting that he only told them his name.

"Yeah"

The Kishida opened his mouth to make a remark but decided against it.

"Alright, blondie you go first." Kakashi said glancing at Naruto.

"Ok, Here I go! I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I like instant cup ramen and the ramen Iruka-sensei treats me at Ichiraku's. I really hate the three minutes I have to wait when I pour the hot water into the cup. My hobbies are collecting new types of ramen and comparing them… gardening and training with my pal Sushi here." He pointed at Atsushi who glowered at the nickname. "And my dream for the future is to be the greatest Hokage! That way the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like somebody important, believe it!"

Atsushi smiled at Naruto's speech, Hinata took notes while blushing and Sasuke just snorted.

'Hmm... The nine tails container this should be interesting.' Kakashi thought. "Now it's the young lady's turn."

With an 'Eeep' Hinata hid the notes behind her back and began, "Oh! Well I am Hinata Hyuga, I like cinnamon buns, Zenzai, gardening and … (Hinata stared at Naruto for a few seconds which was noticed by everyone except for the latter) I dislike shrimps, crab and the caged bird seal. My dream is to m-make my father proud of me."

'So she likes Naruto... I can help her with that.' Atsushi thought with a grin.

'How can the dobe be so oblivious?' Sasuke thought.

'Ah, the Hyuga heiress but she does have a thing for the blond. Oh well at least I didn't get a fan girl.' The Jonin said to himself

Elsewhere a pink haired sneezed.

"Very well, your turn darkie." Kakashi said looking at the last Uchiha.

Sasuke glared at the Jonin but went on. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha, I don't like anything and I hate almost everything. My dream... No my ambition is to get stronger, rebuild my clan and kill a certain someone." Lightning flashed behind him once he was finished. Everyone took a step backwards in fear.

'I hope he isn't talking about me.' Naruto thought taking two more steps backwards just to be safe.

'Just like I thought, he's an avenger.' Kakashi almost said but stopped himself, "And finally, greenie."

The mentioned right eye twitched at the nickname but soon calmed down.

"I am Atsushi Kishida, I like ramen but not as much as Naruto, training with Naruto and my Oji-san…. going through scrolls and creating Jutsu. I dislike messy environments… (Shots Naruto a glare) Annoying and screaming fan girls (shots another in Sasuke's direction) and my dream is to become an amazing ninja." he rounded up.

'With determination and strength, he may actually achieve that dream.' Kakashi said to himself. "Now that introductions are out of the way, meet me tomorrow at training ground 7 for your test." He informed.

"But Kakashi-sensei, didn't we already pass the test?" Hinata asked.

"That was the test to see if you guys are ready to be Genin which all of you passed."

"So we are going to take another test?" Naruto asked this time.

"Yes."

"Great, just great."

"He doesn't like tests so much." Atsushi whispered to both Hinata and Kakashi who nodded.

"Well, my test is tomorrow so be there by 6 AM prompt and before I forget don't eat breakfast unless you want to puke." And with that said their sensei was gone in a swirl of leaves.

"I am out." Sasuke informed before darting away.

"I wonder which kind of test we will have that we will puke if we ate breakfast." Atsushi wondered.

"Then that means I have to eat as much ramen as I can today." Naruto declared jumping up and down at the thought of eating some more of Kami's gift to mankind.

"Didn't you just have some like… three hours ago?" Atsushi asked.

"Yeah, so Hinata are you joining me?" Naruto asked, receiving a blush and nod from the Hyuga heiress.

"Y-Yes."

"Sweet, Atsushi?"

"Nah you two go have some fun, I got some research to do."

"Ok, come on Hinata." He grabbed her hand, "The delicious ramen awaits us." Naruto raced off dragging his female teammate whose face was becoming more tomato-like by the second.

Atsushi smiled as they left, "She is so different from Sakura, I hope Naruto soon forgets about that pink haired. Now where was I... Ah researching." He turned and roof jumped away.

[+]

Omake (ABS)

|Leaf village's gates|

**14 years ago**

"Ahh finally we have arrived." A young male announced as he gazed upon the Leaf village. The male stood at 186 cm, green spiky hair and eyes, dressed in a dark green top with black pants. His forehead protector bore his village's symbol which is a uniquely shaped Triangle with its vertex pointing downwards.

"Konohagakure sure is different from Arashigakure." A female said as she walked up beside him, she stood at 180 cm with Brown hair and eyes, wore a blue kimono with yellow swirls design.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to become ambassadors to the leaf village?" She asked, facing her husband.

"Of course and it isn't forever at least a maximum of 6 years so stop worrying and give me a kiss." He answered, grabbing her waist and pulling her close.

**Poof!**

The young lady disappeared in a puff of smoke revealing a 13 year old boy in his arms.

"What the hell? Little bro? Why did you do that?" The young man cried out in shock dropping the boy as if he was hot iron.

"Haha you totally fell for it." The boy laughed out standing back up.

"Fell for what?"

"Sara and I made a bet that you couldn't tell the difference between a henge of her and the real her and this just confirmed that I'm right." The boy grinned.

"DAIKI!" A furious female yelled walking towards the two brothers.

"Sara-chan I can explain-"

"Save it, you are sleeping on the couch for the rest of the month!"

Daiki felt his world shatter into a million pieces and Areku (the boy and younger brother to Daiki) couldn't help but laugh at the look on his elder brother's face, it was priceless.

"Why you little… Hey! Get back here, I haven't even begun to deal with you." Daiki pursued his younger brother who ran into the village still laughing his guts out.

While they were gone Sara calmed down a bit and approached the village gate where she met Izumo and Koketsu the two new appointed Chunin of the village. She was in the process of identifying herself when…

**BOOM!**

"MY CABBAGES! This place is worse than Arashi!"

On hearing that Sara sweat dropped, looks like the cabbage merchant had left their village after the two Kishida brothers had destroyed his produce numerous times in their pursuit and had opted to settle in Konoha only for the two to arrive at his safe haven.

"I should go and control those two before they cause any more harm-"

**BOOM!**

"MY TOMATOES! This place is worse than Kumo!"

Sara immediately took off ignoring the two eternal Chunin, she had to prevent her husband and brother-in-law from destroying all of the Leaf's village vegetables.

[+]

**A/N**: That's my boy giving Naruto and Hinata some deserved alone time. I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I got a lot planned like introduction of new jutsu, a new bloodline limit, power upgrades and so on. Well you just have to wait for other chapters.

Atsushi is an orphan just to be clear and lives with his Oji-san (Uncle). His life story will split and published as Omake (ABS) at the end of some chapters.

24/9/20: Minor changes.

Constructive criticism is encouraged and welcomed with open arms.

Total number of words: 5883 words.

Again thanks for reading.

Jamesco1292002


	2. Chapter 2

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast Talking"**

'**Tailed Beast Thinking'**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**A/N: **Special thanks to those who reacted, keep them coming and I will keep on publishing.

I sincerely apologized for any grammatical errors found in the previous chapter.

[+]

**Chapter 2: Teamwork**

[+]

**6:04 AM**

|Training Grounds 7|

Atsushi arrived at the designated training ground, and found out that his team had already arrived even Naruto, and the three of them looked sleepy. Naruto was busy yawning his mouth off, Hinata was trying to suppress an unlady-like yawn and Sasuke also yawned although he tried to hide it.

"Hey guys." He greeted.

"Hey Sushi, How was your sleep?" Naruto replied then asked before letting out another yawn.

"Incomplete if you must ask." Atsushi turned to face Sasuke. "Morning to you too, Sasuke."

"Hn."

'How predictable.' Atsushi rolled his eyes. "And good morning to you too, Hinata."

"Good… Morning… Atsushi-san." The blue-haired Hyuga yawned in between.

"So any sign of Kakashi-sensei?" the Kishida asked as he looked around for any sign of the silver-haired Cyclops, but found none.

"No, he's not here yet. And I have a hunch that he's not going to be here anytime soon." Naruto answered.

All four Genin yawned simultaneously before Naruto faced the Kishida, "So any info on how Kakashi-sensei's tests are?" he asked.

"Very little, only one guy was actually helpful…" he paused, letting out a great yawn, "the others just smiled mischievously once I informed them who our sensei was." The green-haired answered.

"So the only guy, what was his advice?"

"To stick together."

"… Is that seriously it?"

"Yep"

"Well that's surprisingly helpful."

The Kishida chuckled at the blonde's sarcastic words then joined the rest to wait for their Sensei.

[+]

**A few hours later**

Morning finally arrived and the members of Team 7 were seated against the bark of a tree, fast asleep. Starting from the right was Sasuke who seemed to be brooding in his sleep, then Hinata who had a content smile on her face as she snuggled up to her favorite blonde, said blonde was drooling on his best friend's shoulder who despite being asleep seemed disturbed.

"Rise and shine Team." Kakashi announced as he appeared in a whirl of leaves, waking up the Genin. "It's time for-"

"YOU'RE LATE!"

"... Your test." He slowly added.

"You!" Naruto began, rising to his feet. "Why are you so late? It's been, uh-"

"Four and a half hours." Atsushi supplied wiping a bit of drool from his shoulder.

"Four and a half hours." Naruto finished. "Thanks Atsushi, Sensei what were you doing?"

"Well I… a black cat crossed my path so I had to take the long way around." Kakashi said with an eye smile.

"Yeah right Kakashi-sensei." Said the pissed off blonde.

"Ok, we will start the test." He held up three bells and attached them to his belt. "The objective of this test is to take these bells from me, any way you can."

"B-but sensei, t-there is only three bells."

"How observant Hinata. The truth is that only three of you will be staying on at the end of this test, the other will return to the academy…"

"WHAT!" The four Genin shouted.

"You guys should stop doing that, anyway you have until noon to retrieve the bells so come at me with the intent to kill or you won't get any. You are free to use any of your Ninja tactics, clan techniques and weapons" He pulled out an orange book and began reading.

Team 7 stood there for a moment, confused.

"So do we just…" Naruto glanced at the others who just shrugged.

"Well alright then." Naruto made a hand seal. "Get ready-"

"Naruto hold up." Atsushi interrupted. "What is Sensei reading?" The Kishida asked pointing at the book in Kakashi's hand.

It was Icha Icha Paradise, the number one book for literature perverts from all of the Elemental Countries.

… Wow…

"Kakashi-sensei how could you?" Hinata gasped.

"Huh?" Was the Jonin's intelligent reply.

"How dared you read a perverted book in front of your own students?" Atsushi asked in disgust.

The silver haired shrugged "It's pretty interesting." The Cyclops answered before he continued reading the perverted book.

"That's sick man."

"It's not and besides there isn't anything you kids can **DO** that will really surprise me." Okay that sounded like an insult to all the Genin present.

Naruto gritted his teeth before weaving some hand seals, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Suddenly there were a whole lot of Orange in the training grounds.

[+]

Kakashi gazed from his book to see about fifty orange beings running towards him. 'Well looks like someone is desperate.' He brought his hand down into his pouch and drew a kunai. As the sea of orange moved towards him, he began a rhythmic stabbing motion with the knife. The first dozen popped because of being too close, the next fourteen came in with flying punches and kicks but were dispelled due to Kakashi slashing their feet and hands. A few attempted sneak attacks but were swept off their feet. The last dozens surrounded him and jumped in at once from different directions. He increased his stab a bit faster, the shouting and puffs stopped so he holstered the kunai and looked around finding no one. "Didn't I make myself clear? You're welcome to attack me now."

[+]

Naruto was shocked as he witnessed the clone massacre. "Ok… He's a bit stronger than Mizuki-teme." He acknowledged.

"Well he's a Jonin, what were you expecting?" Atsushi responded, eyes focused on the Jonin who had resumed his reading.

"Do you really think one of us will be sent back to the academy?" Hinata asked worriedly. 'Father will be very disappointed if I'm sent back.'

"No, he's just messing with us... Right?" Naruto wasn't sure.

"I'm not sure but we need a plan, any ideas?" Atsushi asked after realizing that their sensei wouldn't pull off any sudden moves.

They sat in silence and began to think.

"W-Well what if we attack t-together, he wouldn't be a-able to focus on e-everyone at once." Hinata suggested after a few minutes.

"Great idea Hinata, but we can't execute it without teme?" Naruto pointed out, Atsushi and Hinata now realized that their raven-haired teammate was not with them.

"There he is." Atsushi pointed, the others followed his finger and landed on their teammate who was sprinting towards Kakashi with impressive speeds while weaving some hand seals which the Icha Icha lover recognized.

'He can do that Justu?'

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"Sasuke answered the unasked question by firing a massive fireball which Kakashi dodged by rolling out of the way. The Uchiha landed in front of the Cyclops in a perfect Taijutsu stance, launching a fist to the Jonin's head which the latter blocked. Seeing that Kakashi was preoccupied, Atsushi grabbed a handful of kunai and shuriken and threw them at the Jonin. The weapons nailed into their target, impaling Kakashi who had a shocked expression on his face before disappearing in a puff of smoke being replaced with a log.

"Damn it." Atsushi muttered after witnessing the Jonin pulling off a substitution jutsu.

"Nice try but not good enough."

The three Genin all jumped at the voice of their sensei behind them. Atsushi quickly reacted with one of his Lightning attacks.

"Lightning Style: Laser Gun!"

Kakashi vanished in another puff of smoke, the blue beam of lightning disintegrating a substituted log into a pile of splinters.

"Where is he?"

"Hinata, can you find him?"

"Hai, Byakugan!" Veins began to sprout around Hinata's eyes as she activated her Kekkei Genkai. Thanks to this, she was now able to see everywhere around her in a near 360 degree rotation. Notwithstanding that she could only see about 50 meters. "He's in the forest."

"Then that's where we're heading to, you coming Sasuk-" Atsushi paused when he realized that their raven-haired teammate was already gone.

"That teme!" Naruto growled before calming down a bit and assuming the leadership position, "Hinata please lead the way."

"Hai."

[+]

|Training Ground 7 Forest|

"Where is the rest of the team?" Kakashi asked as he walked out of the tree he was hiding behind, still reading his orange book.

"They will only hold me back." Sasuke answered in a deadpanned tone.

"Really? How?" Kakashi asked surprised but didn't receive a reply.

The two shared a stare down between each other, waiting for the other to make the move. Eventually, the wait would be too much for one of them to handle, and one of them would break apart and attack first.

That person just so happened to be Sasuke.

The last Uchiha released some Shuriken in Kakashi's direction, who easily hopped to the side to avoid them as the sound of the Shuriken whizzing by rang through his left ear and out his right.

Sasuke then took out a kunai knife and threw it towards a rope, slicing it into two, unleashing the surprise he had in store for Kakashi.

'A trap!' Kakashi realized once he saw Sasuke's target, once again diving to the side to avoid multiple kunai knives which were launched at him thanks to the rope being cut. Kakashi skidded to a halt, where Sasuke was right behind him, reading a kick. "What?!"

A loud sound could be heard through the first as Kakashi blocked Sasuke's flying side kick. With superb reaction time, Kakashi grasped Sasuke's foot, but he threw a hand in front of his face in order to stop a cross from Sasuke, who then followed up with a kick to the top of Kakashi's head, who also blocked it with his arm. Sasuke smirked

Now was his chance.

Sasuke threw out his remaining hand, aiming to grab at least one of the bells. Unfortunately for the Uchiha, Kakashi had let go and jerked his body backwards, making it so Sasuke's middle finger barely grazed the bell.

_'What a guy. I didn't even get time to read Icha Icha Paradise._' Kakashi thought to himself impressed, as no Genin had been able to fight him without him holding back to the point where he restrained himself with no sight and one arm because of reading Icha Icha Paradise.

"Well, I'll admit, you are certainly different from the other three." Kakashi complimented, for what it was worth. Apparently it meant nothing to Sasuke, who formed multiple hand seals ending with the horse seal, and then tiger as he brought his hands to his face, taking a deep breath as he did so.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

"What? A Genin shouldn't be able to do a technique like that, it requires too much chakra!" Kakashi exclaimed out of surprise before mentally adding, 'Then again he is the rookie of the year.'

Sasuke exhaled and out of his mouth came multiple balls of fire which scorched the area Kakashi was standing on and the Jonin with it. Or so Sasuke thought, as when the fire dissipated, Kakashi was no longer there. Even if he got hit, the fire should leave a scorched Kakashi behind, so where was he?

"Left? Right? Front? Behind? Above? Where is he?" Sasuke said as he looked from left to right, in front of him, behind him, and finally above, but the one place he didn't look was…

"Beneath you!" Out of the ground, Kakashi's hand bursted out and grabbed Sasuke by the ankle, causing the Uchiha to gasp out of shock.

"Earth Style: Headhunter/ Double Decapitation Jutsu!" **[1]**

The next thing Sasuke knew, his mouth was wide open, a scream flying out for the world to hear as the lone survivor of the Uchiha clan massacre was dragged down into the ground.

[+]

**Later**

"DAMN IT! WHERE COULD THOSE TWO BE?" Naruto shouted loudly, causing both Hinata and Atsushi to flinch slightly as they ran throughout the forest, looking for Kakashi.

"Wait a minute, Naruto-kun Atsushi-san, I can see Sasuke in the ground." Hinata spoke suddenly, and with no stutter at that.

Eventually, they managed to make it to Sasuke, with Naruto immediately laughing his ass off after seeing his rival's situation.

"Something funny, dobe?" Sasuke asked, irritated that the dead last was laughing at him, the last Uchiha.

"Yeah, you." Naruto grinned, happy that for once that the great Sasuke Uchiha wasn't winning at something.

"Well, can you help me out here?" Sasuke asked growing more annoyed as time went on.

"Hmm... how about… NO!" The blonde replied before letting out another chuckle.

"Naruto, enough." Naruto promptly stopped at his friend's order, satisfied Atsushi walked over to his buried teammate.

"Ok Sasuke we will help you out, on one condition" The Kishida offered.

"Which is?"

"You help us defeat Kakashi-sensei." The boy answered with a smile.

"Why will I do that?" Sasuke glared. They were wasting time here! If things kept going on like this, he would never be able to get a bell, and then he would be held back, all because of these three losers!

"In order to pass this test as suggested by Hinata we have to work together, if we don't work together you can't pass and if you can't pass you can't have your revenge!" Atsushi responded as he glared back. Naruto and Hinata now saw what their teammate was doing.

They all knew how important Sasuke's revenge was to him and being sent back to the academy due to his inability to cooperate wouldn't help him on his quest of vengeance, so the Uchiha did what any reasonable person would have done at the time.

"I will help." He whispered but it was loud enough for Atsushi to hear.

"Glad you found the light, now let's get you out, Naruto you know what to do?"

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" a shadow clone appeared besides the blonde and immediately substituted itself with Sasuke freeing him.

"Now that is settled Hinata please locate Kakashi-sensei." The Hyuga nodded and activated her dojutsu.

"He's b-back at the c-clearing and is r-reading his book." Hinata said.

"Well then what are we waiting for, let's go kick some butt." Naruto said but was stopped by Sasuke.

"We need a plan dobe unless you end up in a hole." Sasuke pointed at Naruto's clone that surprisingly hadn't dispelled after performing the substitution.

"He's right, we can't rush into a Jonin battle without a plan so here is what we are going to do." The Genin huddled up as Atsushi laid out his plan.

[+]

|Training ground 7 clearing|

'Those four have been gone for quite a long time' Kakashi thought as he glanced at the clock he placed on the tree stump. '40 more minutes to go, looks like they haven't embraced the true meaning of the test.'

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Fourteen Narutos jumped out from the tree line and charged towards Kakashi.

'This kid never learns.' Thought Kakashi as he grab a kunai and began stabbing, some of the clones rolled out of the way while some were unlucky. One of the clones threw a punch aiming for Kakashi's head, the Jonin blocked the attack with his left arm before jamming the clone with his knee dispelling it, before he slashed out at three clones with his kunai, one of the three ducked striking three points in the outstretched arm prompting the Jonin to drop the kunai as he retracted his arm in shock.

'Was that a gentle fist strike?' he thought.

The original Naruto seeing the distraction as an opportunity punched the Cyclops in the ribs, however Kakashi was already gone in a band of smoke. "What?"

"A ninja must never allow the enemy to get behind him." Kakashi said as he appeared behind Naruto.

Hinata thanks to her Byakugan saw that Kakashi had his hands in the form of a tiger seal. Dropping the henge and immediately rushing towards the two in an attempt to save her comrade, she managed to yell out loud, "Run, Naruto-kun! He's planning to use a high-level ninjutsu on you!"

"Too late." Kakashi said, prompting Naruto to shoot his head behind him, glancing right at Kakashi, but as the latter had said, it was too late. Kakashi's viewable eye twinkled a white light as the Cyclops prepared an attack. "Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu!"

"AHH!" Naruto screamed, fearing for the worst, however, Naruto's face contorted into one of embarrassment. Their sensei wasn't using a high-level ninjutsu at all. Hinata froze in her tracks as she saw what Kakashi was truly doing. He was STICKING HIS FINGERS UP NARUTO'S ASS!

"A Thousand Years of D-"

**Boom!**

Kakashi was interrupted by a lightning bolt to the side sending him in a tree, his back hugging the bark of said tree. Naruto looked relieved as he and Hinata turned to where the bolt originated from and there stood Atsushi who had his palm open, arm stretched and a clearly disgusted expression on his face.

"You really are a pervert, Sasuke now!" he called.

On hearing the command, Kakashi looked up groaning in pain as Sasuke leapt into air weaving some hand seals.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"Sasuke spewed an enormous fireball at the silver haired. Reacting quickly Kakashi leapt out of the way, only for Hinata to appear before him in her Gentle Fist stance.

"The Gentle Fist eh? Let's see what the prestigious Hyuga clan can do." Kakashi said as he sank into a taijutsu stance. Strangely all the other males backed off as the two took center stage.

Hinata opened the pouch strapped to her leg and pulled out some shuriken, throwing them at Kakashi, each one of them aiming for one of his body parts. She took the initiative and rushed at the Jonin, but not before infusing her palms with some chakra to do some internal damage to Kakashi.

The Jonin merely sidestepped the oncoming shuriken, something which Hinata had expected him to do, now that he was open to her attack; Hinata aimed a strike for Kakashi's arm.

The masked man leaned back slightly and quickly grasped Hinata's hand, recovering quickly from the sudden shock of now being unable to move that hand, Hinata rotated her body about 90 degrees so she was facing Kakashi, preparing to strike him in the chest with the other.

However, before the Jyuken (Gentle Fist) strike could even connect, Kakashi had thrown Hinata off her feet and swayed her over to his back.

The next thing Hinata knew, her hair was whipping through the air as if wind was blowing against her constantly. And she then found herself letting out a small cry of pain as her back collided with the cruel ground. Atsushi and Sasuke charged towards the Jonin while Naruto helped Hinata. The lightning user coated his fist in lightning chakra which he aimed at the Jonin's head, Kakashi ducked sending a punch to the Kishida's gut unfortunately Sasuke interfered kicking him in the side. Kakashi used a quick substitution jutsu to get out of that pickle.

'They are finally working together, that's good but only 10 minutes left.' Kakashi thought glancing at the two.

"Well what are you waiting for? Time's almost up." The Jonin spoke up.

The Kishida and Uchiha stared at each other then shared a nod and began weaving hand seals.

"Lightning Style: Laser Gun!"Three halos formed around Atsushi's right arm before a blue beam of electricity shot out from his fist.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"Sasuke announced spewing out a fireball; the two attacks collided with one another and merged forming a highly concentrated beam of explosive energy which rocketed off heading towards the Jonin with incredible speed.

Kakashi mentally panicked after witnessing this, he knew he couldn't dodge such an attack and began weaving hand seals superfast.

"Earth Style: Subterranean Voyage!" He called before sinking into the earth as the beam impacted the very earth resulting in a mini nuclear explosion obliterating everything within a 10 ft radius.

Kakashi resurfaced some feet way and stared at the crater made by the combined attack. 'That was at least an A-rank collaboration Jutsu, these guys aren't holding back.'

"Hey Kakashi-sensei." Naruto called gaining the Jonin's attention, "Eat this!" He flung a Demon Windmill Shuriken at the silver-haired which impaled a tree as the said silver-haired easily dodged.

"Naruto, you seriously need to work on your element of surprise." Kakashi remarked unimpressed with the Uzumaki.

"I wasn't aiming to surprise you." Naruto smirked which confused Kakashi as to why he was smiling until he heard a puffing sound behind him then **[2]**

"Eight Trigrams: 32 Palms!"Hinata unleashed her barrage of gentle fist strikes on Kakashi's exposed back catching him by surprise.

"Two Palms! Four Palms! Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms! Thirty-two Palms!"

Kakashi slumped to the ground due to 32 of his 361 chakra points being closed; Hinata grabbed the bells from his belt and joined the others. The effects of the 32 palms would wear off in a while or so, lucky Kakashi could still talk but couldn't mold chakra so definitely he had lost.

"Well done guys, now the hard part who goes back to the Academy?" Kakashi asked as he struggled to stand up, 'If that was the 32 palms, I wouldn't want to encounter the 64 or 128 palms.'

"Nice try sensei but…" Hinata

"… We figured out the real purpose of the test..." Naruto

"… Which was our ability to work together to retrieve the bells…" Sasuke

"… Within the allocated time range." Atsushi added tossing the bells back to Kakashi just as the timer rang.

**RIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG**

It was noon and Team 7 had passed the test, Kakashi couldn't be any prouder of his team. They were the first to discover the true meaning behind the test and they were honestly the first group of Genin to actually make him shiver in fear with that combination Jutsu.

"Ok guys just remember." Kakashi began as he stood up the effects of the 32 palms now gone, "In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, that's true. But, those who abandon even one of their comrades... are worse than scum." Kakashi quoted the words of his late friend Obito Uchiha, the one who changed his outlook on the rules of Shinobi forever.

Tears began to flow from Naruto's eyes as he admitted that, "He's... He's kind of cool."

Kakashi gave a thumb up to the new official team.

"The training ends here! All of you pass! Team 7 will start doing missions starting tomorrow!" And with that he disappeared in a swirl of leaves leaving behind four lunch bentos. The four Genin's stomachs growled before dug into their various bentos, engaging in some conversations about the test.

[+]

**Some minutes later**

|Kishida Residence|

"Oji-san! I'm home and I brought a friend." Atsushi called out, walking into the living room with Naruto right behind him. The Uzumaki was on the edge in case things went south.

"Ah, good to see you Atsushi-kun." A young man said, also walking into the living room before enveloping the young Kishida in a hug. While this was going on, Naruto took in the senior's appearance; he seemed to be in his mid-twenties, approximately 182 in height, same hair and skin as Atsushi with similar eyes. His attire consisted of an ANBU black and blue shirt with brown pants, black arm guards and gloves, ninja sandals with spikes for travelling into mountainous regions, two ninja pouches on his back-waist and a signature triangle design on back of his shirt which Atsushi identified as the mark of his clan. He looked like an older and more mature version of Atsushi.

"And who is your friend here?" The man asked taking a look at Naruto.

"Naruto, meet Areku-san, my Oji-san. Oji-san, meet Naruto." Atsushi introduced.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Areku-niisan." Naruto said, bowing surprising the Kishida.

Areku just laughed, "No need for formalities, Areku is fine. So why are you two here? Didn't you guys have a test today?" He asked.

"Yeah, we aced the test but Naruto here needs some help sharpening his ninja skills and stuff." Atsushi explained. The mentioned elbowed him in the side for that.

"Oh, I see." He focused on the blond, "So Naruto-kun, how about a quick spar?" He asked leading the two to the Kishida training room.

"Right now?"

"Yes, I need to evaluate your skills and a couple of other things?"

"Ok, are there any rules concerning the spar?"

"Only kicks and punches, no jutsu and no weapons." Areku listed before entering a taijutsu stance. "Ready when you are."

Naruto nodded then formed his own stance; Atsushi raised his hand to commence the spar.

"Ha-"

"What a minute?" Areku interrupted.

"Is some wrong Areku-san?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"Yes, your stance is pathetic." He replied bluntly, surprising both Genin. "You aren't light on your feet and your opponent can easily predict your moves before they are even executed, if I'm correct you were attempting to attack me first with punch to the face then a kick to the side right?"

Naruto could only nod as he was rendered speechless at how easy it was for the Jonin Kishida to predict his opening attack.

"If I were the enemy, I would have easily formulated a counterattack to your attack, placing you at a disadvantage before the battle even began, so we have to start from the scratch." Areku sighed relaxing his stance, he knew that some teachers hated Naruto but to the extent of teaching him a wrong taijutsu stance.

"But that's the stance I was taught in the academy."

"Really? Who taught you that stance?"

"Miz-" Naruto stopped himself as he realizes who, "That teme he wanted me to fail from the very start." He snarled.

"Now now." Areku said trying to calm down the enraged boy, "How about some hand seals." That caught Naruto's interest, making hand seals were the easiest skill to learn back at academy. "Please perform the hand seal for monkey."

[+]

**A couple of hand seals later**

Areku was burning with rage and fury, he had Naruto perform a couple of hand seals only to discover that half of them were completely wrong, no serious-minded shinobi could ever perform the desired jutsu with the wrong hand seals.

'I need to have a chat with the Third concerning those teachers.' The senior Kishida thought.

Atsushi spent most of his time correcting his blond friend by showing him the correct hand seals. 'No wonder he was the dead last of the class, he was taught incorrectly.'

"Naruto-kun, have you done any of the chakra control exercises?" Areku asked, trying to dispel the current somber mood Naruto was displaying.

"What are chakra control exercises?" Naruto asked, brightening up a little.

"They are training exercises which help to improve one's chakra control like leaf balancing, tree climbing and water walking." Atsushi answered.

"So you have done any of them before?" Naruto inquired.

"All except for water walking." The Kishida boy replied.

Areku rubbed his jaw in thought, "This could take a while due to having the Kyubi inside of you plus your enormous chakra reserves-"

"Wait! You know about my condition?" Naruto questioned.

"Of course I do, when you are a Jonin of the Leaf village it's pretty hard to be left in the dark about these kind of things."

"So you hate me?" Naruto tensed up, awaiting the insults and beating.

"Why will I hate you? I know the difference between a sealed kunai and its scroll unlike those idiotic civilians on the streets." Areku responded frowning at the last part.

"Tell me about it." said Naruto agreeing with him.

"Emhm… We are going off topic folks." Atsushi notified the two.

"Oh yeah, so where was I… Ah yes, your chakra reserves are pretty huge surpassing both mine and my nephew here whose reserves are presently high Jonin and low Chunin levels respectively." Areku stared at the blond for a few seconds before asking, "What's your affinity kid?"

"I don't actually know." Naruto replied, his face slightly red due to embarrassment. 'Just how far behind am I?' he said to himself.

"No need to feel embarrassed Naruto-kun, you can find out right now." Areku uttered before pulling out a paper from his left pocket. "This is a Chakra Induction Paper." He began showing them the paper, "Once exposed to even the slightest hint of chakra, it reacts according to the chakra's latent element." Areku explained handing the chakra paper over to Naruto.

"Now inject a bit of your chakra into it, it will react according to your latent element. If Fire: the paper will ignite and turn to ash, if Water: the paper becomes wet, if Wind: the paper will split in two, if Earth: the paper will turn to dirt and if Lightning: the paper will wrinkle. Now go!"

Naruto did as required and the paper experienced two changes.

A. It split in half which means Wind.

B. It became wet which means Water.

"Ah so you have two nature transformations, wind like me and water like Atsushi-kun, you should be honored most Genin usually have only one nature transformation."

Naruto was about to unleash one of his fox like grins when realization struck. "I thought Sushi only had an affinity for lightning."

Atsushi now answered, "Our bloodline limit grants us access to all five nature transformations but for a limited period of time."

Naruto blinked in confusion, "Wait, you guys have a bloodline?"

"Yes Naruto, it's called the Nisankugan and I will explain it you later." Atsushi promised.

"Now see what's going to happen, after training with your team, both of you," Areku pointed to the two boys, "will meet me at Training Grounds 11 for about 2 – 3 hours of training. Agreed?"

"Hai! Areku-san." Both boys chorused, but Naruto had a question.

"Why can't we use our training ground?"

"Training Grounds 7 is already assigned to your Genin team but Training Grounds 11 isn't assigned to any which makes it a perfect place for some private lessons." The boys nodded as the explanation made sense, "Ok I guess we see each other at Training Grounds 11, now if you excuse me I have an appointment with the Third." The senior Kishida promptly left after that, 'Those bastards will pay.' He mentally snarled, those academy teachers better watch out.

[+]

|Hokage Tower|

"Team 1?"

"Failed." The assigned Jonin replied.

"Team 2?"

"Those civilian brats failed."

"Team 3?"

"They aren't ready so they fail."

"Team 4?"

"They ran home crying to their mommies so they failed."

"Team 5?"

"They ended up fighting each other so failed."

"Team 6?"

"Failed horribly."

"Team 7?"

"Passed."

Everyone turned their heads to stare the silver-haired.

"What?" Kakashi asked.

"You actually passed a team?" The Chain smoker Asuma asked in surprise and he wasn't the only one.

"They are an unusual bunch but they do have a lot of potential so yes I did." The mask wearer replied.

"Moving on," Hiruzen said, smiling internally, "Team 8?"

"Passed." A beautiful lady by the name Kurenai answered.

"Team 9 is still in circulation so Team 10?"

"Passed." Asuma said.

"34% passed, you are all dismissed." Once the Jonins had left Hiruzen turned his attention to his office window, "Areku you can come in now."

Said Kishida hopped through the window, "Sorry I didn't wish to disturb Hokage-sama." He apologized.

"That's' fine, please take a seat." Once the Jonin had taken a seat the Hokage continued, "I was thinking of a suitable punishment for those academy teachers who sabotaged Naruto's education, so any ideas?"

"Hmm, I do have a couple of ideas." Areku gained a smile which Hiruzen mirrored.

[+]

Omake (ABS)

|Rented Apartment complex|

**14 years ago**

Sara dragged the two males by their ears leading them to their new apartment. "I can't believe you two, we just arrived 40 minutes ago and you two have already destroyed three vegetables stalls!"

"Sorry Sara-san." The younger of the two apologized once they were inside the apartment.

"It was accident, Sara-chan." The elder explained.

"Yea right, more stalls will be destroyed the second I release you two." Sara replied, glaring at the two brothers.

"We promise no more unnecessary vegetable destruction!" The two pledged with their fingers crossed behind their backs.

"Good but you aren't off the lease yet Daiki-kun!" She said focusing her glare at the senior of the two.

The male sighed, "Fine, now let's focus on our second mission."

"What second mission? I thought we only had one mission?" Areku asked confused.

"Well you see Arashigakure doesn't want to be taken by surprise incase its allies tries to go behind its back so we are here to gather information." Daiki explained.

"Information? What kind of information?" The boy asked.

"Although both villages are in an alliance with each other, Arashi being a relatively middle-level village fears that its allies might break the treaty and attack, so we are here to gather any information about any plans which may lead to an invasion and report back." Daiki replied

"But that isn't that risky?"

Sara answered this time. "Yes it is that is why we have to be very careful. Daiki-kun and I will join Konoha shinobi while you will be in the Academy."

"But I am already a Genin!" The boy protested.

"We know that but you will be attending the final session and it should be easy for you since you are already a Genin."

"Fine but I won't like it." Areku pouted.

"Didn't expect you to." Daiki chuckled, "Now let's get you registered in the academy."

[+]

**A/N: **As I said I will change some features and Naruto not knowing any elemental Jutsu until after the Chunin exam is definitely one of them.

Members of Team 7 and their affinities

Sasuke: Fire and Lightning.

Hinata: Water and Earth. (These suit her better than Lightning and Fire)

Naruto: Wind, Water and Fire **[3]**

Atsushi: Lightning, Water and Earth **[4]**

The Jutsu Atsushi used to disrupt Kakashi's thousand years of death is called the Thunderbolt (Rakurai). It requires firing a bolt of lightning from the user's palm and requires no hand signs. That is one of Atsushi original Jutsu, the other being the Lightning Fist.

[1] – Which one is it?

[2] – Hinata substituted herself with the Demon Windmill Shuriken before attacking.

[3] – will be included later on

[4] – This will be explained in the next chapter

Thanks for reading and remember to drop reviews.

24/9/20: Minor changes.

Total number of words: 5771 words

Jamesco1292002


	3. Chapter 3

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast Talking"**

'**Tailed Beast Thinking'**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**A/N: **Special thanks to those who followed and reviewed. I do not Naruto but I own my OC and stuff related to him.

[+]

**Chapter 3: Finally a C-rank mission**

[+]

**Next day**

|Training Grounds 7|

The members of Team 7 arrived at their designated training ground and surprisingly or not surprisingly Kakashi wasn't there yet, after an hour or two the gravity-defying silver-haired Jonin finally appeared in a whirl of leaves with the excuse that he was helping an old lady with her groceries which of course nobody bought. Kakashi started them off with some team building exercises saying that they needed to work on their teamwork before taking up missions. The exercise was an easy one as Kakashi had one of them blindfold the other and then the non-blindfolded person would guide the blindfolded person around, directing them away from danger, at first everything had started alright until Naruto was tasked with guiding a blindfolded Sasuke around an obstacle course in less than 15 minutes. Sure the blonde might have steered Sasuke into a few trees or off a log once or twice on accident, but that didn't warrant what he received when he and Sasuke swapped places. It only took about 5 minutes before Sasuke guided Naruto into the river, soaking him. From there, everything went downhill and the two boys ended up in a little bit of a fight with Sasuke coming out on top.

Atsushi and Hinata didn't have such problems, whenever the Kishida tripped on a pebble or stick which Hinata missed, the Hyuga instantly apologized and vice versa. After about two or three more team building exercises Kakashi concluded the day's activities, Sasuke left immediately brooding about how useless the exercise was, Hinata was escorted back to the Hyuga compound by her care-taker Ko Hyuga and the remaining boys raced off towards Training Ground 11.

[+]

|Training Ground 11|

The two arrived and found Areku patiently sitting under a tree reading a scroll, on hearing the sound of their footsteps the Kishida Jonin stopped his reading before placing the scroll back into a gray colored bag he brought along and faced his students.

"Judging by the look on Naruto's face I will say that Kakashi made you guys do some team building exercises?" He asked and received a positive nod, "Every Genin team performs team building exercises for an entire week before they can take some D-rank missions." Areku explained as he slowly stood up.

"These D-ranks are they interesting?" Atsushi asked.

"Well…"

"Do involve fighting bandits or delivering some important documents?" Naruto added.

"Those are C-ranked missions Naruto, D-ranks are more like chores."

Both boys blinked, "Chores?"

"Yep, like painting fences, weeding a farmland or catching a certain cat."

[+]

|Elsewhere|

Hidden under a food stand a certain cat suddenly sneezed.

"I found her." A voice called.

'Oh shit.' The cat thought before it took off.

[+]

"Anyway for today we will begin with some physical exercises so your guys will need some of these." Areku said before placing a hand into his right pocket, both boys watched as the Jonin Kishida pulled out what looked like four black sweatbands.

"Sweatbands?" Naruto asked with a sweat drop.

"Nope." Areku shook his head, "These are chakra weights, and they have a special seal on them that allows you to alter their weight. Theoretically, you could make them as heavy as a mountain though you would not be able to move or as light as a feather."

"So you just had some lying in your pocket?" Atsushi asked with a smile.

"Well they are actually your presents for achieving the rank of Genin so here you go." He replied handing them over to his nephew. "I also have some for you too Naruto."

The blond immediately pecked up, he had thought that he was being forgotten. The green-haired Jonin dipped his hand in his left pocket and pulled out four more chakra weights, "Thanks Areku-sensei." The blonde said as he received the weights, "But why four?"

"If you want to improve your body equally then you have to have one for each limb." He pointed out, "This way, you can train both your arms and legs."

"There by increasing our strength and speed." The Kishida Genin concluded.

"For normal weights yes but these also help to increase your chakra capacity and control, now I hope those weights are already on the respective limbs." Both boys immediately wore the weights, "Now send a bit of your chakra into it to activate level 1 which will apply a weight of 10 pounds on each limb." The boys did as required and suddenly struggled to stand as they felt their weight increase by 40 pounds.

"Once comfortable with your current level you just need a bit of your chakra to progress to the next level, if you want to deactivate the weights just say Kai! (Release!)"

The boys were about to deactivate the weights but were stopped by the elder Kishida.

"It will take some time to get use to those weights so how about 30 laps around that clearing?" The boys followed Areku's gaze and immediately groaned: the clearing was as large as a soccer field.

"Time's are wasting so you better get moving." The boys left out another groan but obeyed, Areku also joined in on the exercise as a way of encouraging them to continue. The boys were able to keep up until the twentieth lap where they collapsed and were offered some bottled water by Areku before he continued the exercise, after a few minutes of rest Naruto resumed the exercise gaining a lap before Atsushi joined in.

"Areku-san?"

"Yes Atsushi."

"How much weight are you carrying?"

"Well I'm currently at the max level which around 200 pounds."

Naruto and Atsushi's jaws dropped, "That means…"

"50 pounds on each limb." Areku responded as the boys reattached their jaws. "If you think that's impressive, then you haven't met Maito Gai."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

Areku chuckled a bit, "He wears about 400 pounds which is 100 pounds on each limb."

The Genin's jaws dropped once again.

Twenty - thirty minutes later they completed the exercise and took a ten minute break before Atsushi announced the next exercise, "Ok since we are done running for today, we try some pushups then sit-ups and the rest of the week we work on refining Naruto's taijutsu."

The two boys nodded and began the next exercise.

[+]

The following weeks went on like that, after completing their training sessions and D-rank missions with Team 7 the boys would rush over to training ground 11 for some extra training with Areku.

The first week like said was spent mainly on improving their physical condition and taijustu, Naruto soon found himself in sparring sessions either against Atsushi or Areku or sometimes both, well to be it straight the Uzumaki got his ass handed to him so many times that he lost count but at the end of each day he noticed an improvement in his form.

The second week was spent working on improving their chakra control, it turns out that Naruto could not perform the leaf balancing exercise due to the high density of his chakra so Areku introduced him to the tree climbing exercise. Atsushi then introduced the exercise to the rest of his teammates and with some competition from the Uchiha, Naruto was able to complete the exercise within two days; Hinata displayed the best chakra control by completing the exercise within 10 minutes. Since the tree exercise was conquered in less than two days, the boys spent the remaining days learning about their affinities; their weaknesses and strengths, etc.

[+]

**Third week (Elemental Manipulation)**

|Training Ground 11|

After creating some shadow clones and assigning them to either work on his taijutsu or mastering tree climbing, Naruto patiently waited for Areku to arrive, after spending the past week studying about his wind affinity and finally being able to split a leaf in half with his chakra the Kishida deemed him worthy to commence elemental manipulation and the Blonde couldn't wait to be able to fire jutsus left, right and center.

The Uzumaki was so occupied with his thoughts that he didn't realize that the Jonin had arrived and he almost missed what he was about to say.

"Ok Naruto while Atsushi and my shadow clone work on improving the effectiveness of his Rakurai (Thunderbolt), Raiken (Lightning Fist) and some other jutsus, I will be teaching some Wind related jutsu." Areku said.

"Finally I can't wait to rub it in teme's face."

"Yeah yeah, we will start with an easy Wind Jutsu now don't get mad if you fail the technique on your first tries." Naruto nodded and the Kishida continued.

"Now I will demonstrate a wind jutsu." Areku turned around and faced some training targets, the Jonin took a deep breath and spat out three transparent spheres of wind which collided with the targets and completely drilled right through them.

"That was the Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullets or Air Bullets for short." Areku and turned back to Naruto who had stars in his eyes.

"Now it's your turn and these are the seals." Areku said, slowly demonstrating the seals which Naruto started making.

"Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullets!"Naruto's mouth hung open but not a single puff of air came out.

'Okay. That was a little weird. This Jutsu is a least a C-rank when fully powered but he shouldn't be having any problems with it.' Areku thought.

"One more time." Naruto nodded and performed the seals but nothing.

Seeing the same results gave Areku an impression of what was wrong but he needed to confirm it, Naruto became confused when the Jonin sat down, crossed his legs (lotus position) then closed his eyes and began to meditate.

"Umm… Areku-san?"

"Shh… I'm trying to meditate here." Naruto promptly kept quiet, some minutes later Areku finally spoke up.

"Try again."

"Huh?"

"The jutsu, try to do the jutsu again." He repeated and Naruto nodded, formed the seals while gathering the chakra required.

"Wait. Hold the chakra, but try to mold it more into a tight sphere shape before you release it." Areku directed Naruto, who did as told and spat out a small ball of wind which didn't really do much but was a start. Noticing the improvement Areku exited his meditative state and offered some corrections on the jutsu.

The next three weeks were spent learning jutsu, Areku handed Naruto and Atsushi scrolls based on their elemental affinities for them to learn and offered corrections whenever they messed up with the jutsu. Though the use of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, the both Genin were able to learn about 65% of the scrolls given to them and in a record time of about 16 days which surprised Areku in no small way.

Seeking to increase his knowledge and IQ level, Naruto made 10 shadow clones which he sent off to the Library, this became a daily task for the Uzumaki and as long as the clones were under a henge the Librarian wouldn't notice. He learnt about the origins of the various clans in Konoha and thanks to some history lessons from his green-haired friend Naruto learnt a lot about the Kishida clan, he learnt about how their village Arashigakure was formed, the five divisions which make up the Kishida clan and most importantly their unique bloodline, The Nisankugan. (**A/N: **This will be discussed at the end of this chapter.)

[+]

**A month later (2 months after graduating)**

|Somewhere in the forests of Konoha|

"Is everyone in position?" Kakashi called out through the wireless radios his team was wearing.

"I'm ready" Atsushi called out.

"I'm in position" Sasuke said.

"I'm here" Naruto replied.

"Alright, where's the target?" Kakashi asked.

"Target is five meters. We are ready to go" Hinata said after locating the cat with her Byakugan.

"Alright, on my mark go" Kakashi ordered.

With that, the three boys dove forward on their target. Their target just so happened to be a pretty angry cat, known around the village as Tora, the Fire Damyio's Wife's pet and the Demon Cat of the Leaf. Team 7 reported that they had caught the intended cat, indicating that it had a pink ribbon in its ear. They quickly made their way back to the Konoha mission hall to get rid of the nuisance.

[+]

|Konoha Mission Hall|

"Ah, my precious Tora-chan! I missed you so much!" the wife of the Fire Daimyo, Madam Shijimi, yelled out as she hugged her cat tightly in the Missions Office, despite the cat looking like it was choking to death. "You had me so worried, my little baby!"

"Serves it right…" Naruto muttered, the Uzumaki had three scratches across the bridge of his nose, and many more on his hands. Sasuke had three on his left cheek, three on his neck, and about as many on his hands as Naruto.

"Hn..." The Uchiha agreed.

"Kind of makes you pity it..." Hinata mumbled softly, having no scratches on her.

"Let's hope that it never escapes again." Atsushi said, glancing at the scratches on his arms, 'Thank Kami I left my jacket at home this morning.'

"Now... Team 7," the Third said as he was looking over the documents in front of him, "your next duty is... hmm... babysitting an elder's grandson, shopping in the neighboring village, and help with the potato digging... You can also-"

"Tora-chan! Come back!"

"Or you can catch Tora again." The Third added as Tora sped off towards the exit.

"NO WAY AM I GOING AFTER THAT DAMNED CAT JIJI! I WANT DO A REAL MISSION! NOT THIS BORING KID STUFF, CHOOSE SOMETHING ELSE!" Naruto suddenly yelled at the Third, everyone save for Atsushi stared at him in utter shock for daring to interrupt the Hokage.

_'__I hate to admit it, but the dobe's got a point.' _Sasuke inwardly agreed with Naruto.

_'__Naruto-kun.' _Hinata had completely wished that she wasn't in the room at that moment. Naruto's yelling was making a scene, and all the attention of the people in the room was on Team 7, which included her.

Atsushi sighed at the scene Naruto was creating, he knew that the blonde wanted to get higher ranked missions, he had been complaining about it for days nonstop.

"You idiot!" Iruka stood up from his chair as he slammed the table. "You're still a newly appointed Genin! Everyone needs to start with easy missions to gain experience!"

"Are you kidding me?! What does getting raked in the face by a FREAKING cat while trying to catch said cat have to do with gaining experience! All of these missions are just baby- WHAA!" Naruto yelped as Kakashi gave him a bonk on the head, making him fall face first into the wooden floor.

"Cut it out." Kakashi scolded the blonde.

"Naruto! It looks like I need to explain to you what these missions are." The Third Hokage said as Naruto sat up, gripping the back of his head as he cried out of pain, freezing when he heard the Third. "Listen, a lot of clients come to this village every day. The requests for missions go from babysitting to assassinations."

Hinata flinched at the last part while Atsushi flinched at the first.

"The requests are and analyzed and they are separated into ranks-"

Atsushi tuned out of the Third's explanation, as he already knew how the missions worked as his uncle was a Jonin. 'Speaking Areku-san I wonder how he is able-

"So I had tonkotsu ramen yesterday, so I'm thinking miso ramen today…"

"Silence!" The Third snapped at the blonde.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, "Oh, sorry."

Naruto turned around to face the Third Hokage.

"You always lecture me like a little kid, pops!" Naruto exclaimed out of annoyance. "But I'm not the kid who used to pull pranks anymore! I'm a ninja now and I want a mission worthy of one!" Naruto turned around, crossed his arms and pouted.

'Naruto has some guts to be talking to the Hokage like that, hope this doesn't cause us any problems in the future.' Atsushi thought.

_'__Does he always talk to Lord Hokage like this?'_Hinata wondered as she took note of how Naruto called Hiruzen 'pops'. It was slightly amusing seeing the interaction between the two, she had to admit.

Kakashi began to scratch his head again. '_I'm so going to hear about this later'_

'What a dobe.' Sasuke thought.

Both Iruka and Hiruzen chuckled to themselves at Naruto's attitude as their lips widened into a smirk.

_'__Naruto has changed.' _Hiruzen noted, happy that Naruto was starting to take life as a Shinobi more seriously. He also knew about the extra training the boys were receiving from Areku thanks to his crystal ball.

"Okay, I understand." Hiruzen spoke, earning interested looks from all of a Team 7, except Kakashi who bore the same bored expression on his eye as usual. "Since you are so eager, I will allow you to take on a C-ranked mission. You will be required to escort a certain person."

Naruto's ears perked up, "Really?!" He turned his body around to face the Third, revealing a grin on his face. "Who? Is it the feudal lord? Or a princess?"

"Don't get so impatient. I'll bring him in now. Send in our visitor." Hiruzen commanded, and not long after, the door to the room slid open.

Naruto, Sasuke, Atsushi and Hinata along with the others could immediately smell sake reeking off of the man who entered. Heck, if that wasn't enough, he was holding a bottle of it in his hand.

Naruto stood up straight like the rest of his team as the man leaned on the doorway, with an irritated look on his face.

Atsushi took in the man's appearance. A bit of his drink was rolling down his mouth as if he was drooling. The man wore a dark green sleeveless V-neck shirt with an obit, pants, and of course a pair of sandals for his feet to wear. Finally, the man wore glasses.

"What's this? A bunch of little snot nose brats?!" The man retorted, before staring directly at Naruto. "And the little one with the idiotic look on his face, you really expect me to believe that he'sa ninja."

"Alright you bastard! First of all, Hinata's a girl! Second of all, she is not the one with the idiotic look on their face!" Naruto yelled, defending Hinata, thinking that the man was getting Hinata's gender mixed up.

Hinata blushed at Naruto's sudden rush to her defense. Although...

"I know she's a girl you brat! I was referring to you!" Tazuna said back.

Naruto quickly shot his head at Atsushi and Sasuke, and to his horror, both boys were taller than him, even Hinata was taller than him with a few centimeters.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Naruto proclaimed as he attempted to bolt at the man kunai in hand, only to be held and restrained in the air by Kakashi, who was holding him with one hand by the jacket.

"You're not supposed to hurt the client. It doesn't work that way, idiot." Kakashi berated Naruto for his rashness and rudeness.

The client took a sip of his drink and cleared his throat after swallowing.

"I am Tazuna, a super bridge building master and I must return to my country. There, I will have all of you to protect my life with yours while I complete the bridge. We will leave shortly."

"This mission will take a couple of days to complete." The Third Hokage stepped in and informed the Genin team.

[+]

|Konoha Gates|

The group was currently leaving Konoha. For all of them except Kakashi and Tazuna, this was the first time that they had to leave the village.

Naruto busted out of the gates, turned around, raised his arms and let out a cry of joy due to leaving the village for the first time and excitement for the mission. And then there was also the aspect of going to a place he has never been to before.

"Hey, will a kid like him be capable of this mission?" Tazuna asked Kakashi as he pointed at Naruto, who froze in his place with white eyes of annoyance at being underestimated. Naruto crossed his arms.

"Don't worry I'm a Jonin, I wouldn't allow any harm to befall anyone." Kakashi assured the bridge builder unfortunately Naruto heard what Tazuna had said.

"Don't underestimate me you geezer! I'm a great ninja! And one day, I will receive the title of Hokage! The name is Naruto Uzumaki! Remember it!" The boy exclaimed with a fox-like grin on his face.

Hinata gushed over Naruto's declaration and thought about how cool he was, Atsushi face palmed while Sasuke snorted.

"Face it kid you can't become Hokage, only a serious minded and powerful ninja will become Hokage and believe me, you are lacking in those areas." Tazuna said flatly.

"Grr! I'm gonna kill you." Naruto leaped forward only to be restrained this time by Atsushi.

"Naruto give it a rest already, trying to kill the client won't help you in becoming Hokage." He said.

Naruto glared at his green haired friend but calmed down.

"Now that's a ninja fit to become Hokage." Tazuna smiled complimenting Atsushi. On hearing that Naruto lost finally his cool (did he even have one?) and pounced. This time the entire team had to restrain him. "Lemme at him! Lemme at him! I just need one taste! Just one taste!"

[+]

|Somewhere between Konoha and Wave|

A day had passed since the little scene at the gates, Team 7 were now on their way to the Wave country passing by some puddles along the way which seemed strange since it hasn't rained for weeks, Kakashi shrugged it off and carried on. Suddenly, metal chains wrapped around Kakashi's body, restraining him. The immediate sound of the clattering chains alerted the Genin as they saw Kakashi stuck in place along with the two ninja who had him restrained.

"What?!" Kakashi gasped out of shock.

"First one!" One of the two Shinobi yelled as Kakashi died getting ripped to shreds but his body disappeared in a band of smoke.

"What?"

The Demon brothers glanced at the others but only saw bands of smoke in their place. "Huh?"

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!" A voice called as a gust of wind blasted one of brothers into a tree knocking him out, the other turned around immediately and received a flying kick to his skull which sent him tumbling backwards, Atsushi followed up Sasuke's kick with sliding tackle sending the shinobi into the ground, everything went dark for him once Hinata struck his chest with a palm strike.

[+]

**A minute later**

"Amazing how did you manage to detect them?" Tazuna asked the Hyuga heiress as Kakashi and Sasuke tied up the attackers.

"My Byakugan could see their chakra from fifty meters away." Hinata replied. "Not to mention that it hasn't rained in weeks so there shouldn't be any puddles."

"That was pretty awesome, Hinata!" Naruto praised.

She went red.

"May I have a word with you, Tazuna!" The cyclops said glaring at the bridge builder.

"Of course." Tazuna sweat dropped, he had a bad feeling of what the Jonin wanted to say.

As the adults were 'discussing' about the mission, Hinata nervously walked up to Naruto.

"Um N-naruto-kun." She called with a slight stutter.

"Yes? Is there something you want Hinata?" Naruto replied with a smile which calmed her down a bit. Naruto had discovered that the Hyuga seemed a lot more comfortable whenever he smiled at her, so he had been doing just that whenever she called him.

"What you said about me being awesome, did you mean it?" She asked shyly.

"Every word plus you are one of the most awesome people I know and I'm glad you are on the same team as I."

The blue-haired Hyuga blushed beet red at the praise before the two adults returned, Kakashi wearing his usually bored expression while Tazuna looked depressed. "Ok everyone, we heading back." The former said.

"What? Why?" Naruto voiced what was on all the Genin's minds.

"Apparently someone lied about the rank of the mission." The Jonin explained glaring at the builder. "This mission is either B or A-ranked."

"I already told you, I could only afford a C-ranked mission. The Wave is currently going through some dark times now that is why I need to build the bridge to jumpstart the economy but I need protection." Tazuna defended before staring at the dry earth. "If I had said the truth from the start, you guys wouldn't have helped."

"We will do it."

"What?" Tazuna looked up with hope.

"We will do it." Naruto repeated staring at Kakashi.

Kakashi knew what he was trying to do, "Naruto, I know you want to help but this mission is beyond you, all of you." He pointed at the rest, "You will only get yourselves killed."

"We are ninjas, it's an occupational hazard." Everyone stared at the Kishida who spoke up, "We knew what we were getting ourselves into the day we became Genin, the day we became Team 7."

Kakashi stared at each member of his team, he saw the determination in their eyes and knew they really wanted this, they wanted to complete the mission. He signed, who was he to stop them? "Fine, we will help." And the members of Team 7 erupted into shouts of cheers and Hns. "But on one condition." Kakashi turned to Tazuna who was crying anime tears, "Once the Wave has enough money, you will return to Konoha and pay for an A-ranked mission agreed?"

"Agreed and thank you, I will never underestimate any of you especially you Saruto-"

"It's Naruto the future Hokage of Konoha!" The blond corrected.

"Yes, Naruto the future Hokage!" Tazuna sobbed happily.

As the scene played on, Kakashi focused on the unconscious and tied up demon brothers he couldn't just leave them along like this. The Cyclops bit his thumb, summoned three of his dog summons and shared out duties.

[+]

**Sometime later**

|Konoha: Hokage Tower|

Hiruzen was currently battling his worst enemy 'Paperwork' when the office doors burst open and a small brown pug ran in with a small scroll on its back. The four hidden ANBU jumped into action and surrounded the pug with their tantos pointed at it.

"It's me Hokage-sama," the dog spoke.

"If you're really Pakkun, then you know what volume of Icha Icha Paradise Kakashi loves more than the rest," Hiruzen stated as he observed the dog.

Pakkun huffed then deadpanned, "Kakashi loves Icha Icha Paradise 3 which features his favorite characters Tsunabe and Diraiya."

"It's Pakkun, only a select few people know about that little fact," Hiruzen confirmed. The ANBU withdrew their swords and retreated back into the shadows. Once the ANBU were gone Pakkun handled a scroll over to the Third and puffed away. Hiruzen opened up the scroll and began to read its contents, after reading the entire report he developed a troubled look on his face.

"This isn't good." Hiruzen muttered to himself.

[+]

**A/N: **Well I hoped you enjoyed it, Next chapter we meet the demon of the mist 'Zabuza' and his lovely apprentice 'Haku' as well as some flashbacks to Naruto's training with Areku-san.

[+]

[Stats] [1]

**Land of Elements [Elemental Country or Yoso no Kuni]**

The Land of Elements is a roughly triangular shaped country located southwest of the Land of Fire and north of the Tea country. The vegetation is a mixture of trees and grasslands as one travels across the country. It is called the land of Elements due to the presence of rare minerals found in its northern and western regions, its southern part of the country is known for the presence of sandy beaches which attracts a lot of tourists annually and its eastern region is known for its famed markets and trading centers. A rumor has it that the south-western region was originally part of the ocean floor but was later uplifted after a great battle between the 1st Yosokage and an S rank nuke-nin. Its government leader is the Elemental Daimyo.

**Arashigakure [Arashigakure no Sato ****or Hidden Storm Village]**

Arashigakure is the Hidden village of the Land of Elements located south of the Land of Fire. This village has a reputation of being protected by an ever ragging thunderstorm during times of war or siege and for accepting abused, banished or rejected clans and shinobi who want to restart their lives. The village is popularly known for accepting most of the bloodline refugees escaping Kirigakure (about 900 – 1500 refugees).

Around the village are several underground tunnels that allow the village's shinobi to get in and out of the village without detection. Arashigakure itself is built like Konohagakure except for some noticeable features like the village having three points of entry, Kage tower being located at the center of the village and being doubled-walled due to security reasons; between the walls are farmlands where farmers can grow their crops during long periods of war or siege.

In Arashigakure, the kage is named the Yosokage.

**List of Yosokages**

Ataxin Kishida [1st] Inazuma

Shion Kishida [2nd] Jari

Yu Kishida [3rd] Kaen

Atoniji Kishida [Current 4th] Akua

**Kishida Clan**

The largest clan in the village, its members make up 37% of the village's population.

Clan symbol – Two silver colored overlapping equilateral triangles, one is larger than the other, to form a six point star, three of the vertexes are bigger than the other three.

People –The clan is divided into five branches/ divisions - Inazuma, Jari, Kaen, Akua and Kuki. The Inazuma are known by their green hair and specialty in lightning Jutsu (Areku and Atsushi belong to this division), the Jari are known by brown hair and specialty in earth, Kaen: reddish-brown and fire, Akua: cyan and water, Kuki: blond with white stripes and wind.

Appearance –The clan members though from different divisions have a common trait, green eyes and a two-triangle seal which is located at the base of their neck. Apart from that each division is known by their different hair colour.

History – In the past, the Kishida clan were among the various clans roaming the world during the warring clans' period. During that time many other clans didn't get along with the Kishida clan due to their odd hair color and highly complicated bloodline limit, so various members of the clan left the elemental nations and settled down in a land which they called the Land of Elements. Sometime later the clan founded the Hidden Storm Village, being completely responsible for running the village and helping it grow to a point that it flourished like all other Hidden villages.

The Yosokage of the village is rotated among the Kishida clan within its five divisions from the beginning of the village. Generally each division holds the seat for 5 – 10 years before passing it onto the next division.

**Kekkei Genkai**

The Nisankugan (2-Triangle Eye) – This is a very aggressive and dominant bloodline, unique only to the Kishida clan. At birth every Kishida is branded with a seal called the Two-triangle seal, this seal was original created by the Uzumaki to help stabilize the bloodline by preventing the second stage from completely draining the user's chakra hence resulting in death. The Nisankugan is divided into two phases…

First phase (Sankugan) – This grants the user access to 2 more nature transformations (3 if the user's primary transformation is included) and resistance to all form of genjutsu. This is unlocked at the age of seven and has only one setback: the user can't perform genjutsu on his/ her opponents. One has to achieve the rank of Genin before being permitted to use this phase.

Once activated the eye morphs into a green triangle.

Second phase (Nisankugan) – This grants the user 2 more transformations (now 5 in total) plus a 75% increase in chakra thanks to the chakra cloak formed once activated. This is unlocked at the age of twelve and also offers resistance to genjutsu. It has two setbacks: the first is the same with the first phase and the second is that it has a time limit (Thanks to the 2-triangled seal) ranging from 1 – 4 hours (depending on the user's chakra reserves) before reverting back to the first phase and a cool down period of an entire day before it can be activated again. One has to achieve the rank of a Chunin to use this phase.

Once activated the eye morphs into its advanced form; a six point star.

**Warning**

Transferring the eye to a non-Kishida has been discovered to result in death as his/ her body won't meet up with the physical and chakra requirements needed.

Trying to breed the Nisankugan with another dominant bloodline has shown to be dangerous as the former will cancel out both itself and the one it should have been combined with. This was discovered when some bloodline refugees married some Kishida, their offspring didn't have a single bloodline!

**Relationship with other villages**

Arashigakure was initially unknown to the other shinobi villages save for Konohagakure who were in alliance with them for a very long time. It was during the Second Shinobi War when the Sand (Sunagakure) invaded Yoso no Kuni in their quest for fertile lands and rare minerals that word went out about the new village that brutally defeated its invaders and even annexed some parts of the Wind country (After the war the land was given back thanks to some monetary compensation). Apart from that incident its relationship with the other villages has been neutral.

[+]

24/9/20: Minor changes.

Total number of words: 5676 words.

Thanks for reading and please review!

Jamesco1292002.


	4. Chapter 4

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast Talking"**

'**Tailed Beast Thinking'**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**A/N: **I have successfully gone through all three previous chapters, re-correcting any grammatical errors found.

**[Statistics of this fic]**

P = Population

A = Area (Km2)

DA = Dominant Affinity

Msr = Military strength ratings

Esr = Economic strength ratings

SP = Shinobi Population (x% of P, x: number)

**1\. Land of Fire**

**P = 292,000**

**A = 599,790**

Hidden Village: Konohagakure

P = 83,000

SP = 55,610 (67%)

Msr = 4/5

Esr = 5/5

DA = Fire

**2\. Land of Lightning:**

**P = 266,000**

**A = 496,087**

Hidden Village: Kumogakure

P = 78,000

SP = 59,280 (76%)

Msr = 5/5

Esr = 4/5

DA = Lightning

**3\. Land of Earth:**

**P = 247,000**

**A = 612,832**

Hidden Village: Iwagakure

P = 74,000

SP = 57,720 (78%)

Msr = 4/5

Esr = 3/5

DA = Earth

**4\. Land of Water:**

**P = 151,000**

**A = 219,147**

Hidden Village: Kirigakure

P = 69,000

SP = 48,990 (71%)

Msr = 3/5

Esr = 2/5

DA = Water

**5\. Land of Wind:**

**P = 162,000**

**A = 621,684**

Hidden Village: Sunagakure

P = 54,000

SP = 39,420 (73%)

Msr = 2.5/5

Esr = 2.5/5

DA = Wind

**6\. Land of Elements:**

**P = 138,000**

**A = 204,935**

Hidden Village: Arashigakure

P = 49,000

SP = 32,340 (66%)

Msr = 2/5

Esr = 3/5

DA = All Five

**Other Lands:**

**P = 25,000 – 150,000**

**A = N/A**

Minor Villages:

P = 10,000 – 45,000

SP = 7,500 – 30, 000

Msr = 0.5 – 2/5

Esr = 0.5 – 2/5

DA = N/A

***** According to the canon it is stated that in terms of military strength Konoha has quality over quantity while Iwa and Kumo have the opposite.

*** **Arashigakure has exceeded the requirements for the Status of a Minor Village but hasn't met the requirements for a Major Village, so it the village is currently in the Intermediate Stage.

[+]

**Chapter 4: Demon of the mist.**

[+]

|Secret hideout|

"You failed!" a rather short man shouted in a secret base far away. "You are supposed to be very strong former ninja." Getting pissed off at the little man's yelling the ninja swung his sword, stopping just before it cut into the man's neck.

"Stop your screeching Gato! This time I will go and kill them myself" the masked ninja said.

"Heh, are you sure? It seems as if the enemy has hired some skilled ninja." the short man now identified as Gato said. "And with the failure of the Demon Brothers, they are aware of us now."

"Who do you think I am?" the masked ninja said with irritation. "Do you honestly think a group of ninja can stop me? I'm the Demon of the Hidden Mist, 'Zabuza Momochi'. No one can stop me!"

[+]

**Some days later**

|Wave outskirts|

A few more days of traveling passed and the group of six came to the edge of the sea where a ferry was waiting to take them from the Land of Fire to the Land of Waves.

Atsushi noticed that they were hiding in the mist and the motor wasn't running which he brought up to Tazuna.

"To prevent Gato's groons from spotting us." The builder answered.

"Who is Gato?" Naruto soon asked.

"He's a business tycoon known across the great nations. He came to our country, promising to improve our economy. However, after a few years it was clear that he was only taking over our economy for his own gain. He quickly took control of our shipping companies the major source of our income. Later on, he took over the all the sectors of the economy using his secret drug trade and some ninjas he employed. The people of Wave had been sucked dry that's why I need to complete the bridge, to bring hope to our economy. The one thing Gato fears is the completion of the bridge."

"So that's why those ninja were after you." Hinata whispered loud enough for him to hear.

"Then why did you hide the fact that ninjas were after you?" Sasuke questioned, now coming into the conversation.

"Because of Gato, the Wave Country is poor. Even its Daimyo has no money because of him. We can't afford an expensive A-rank mission right in our current condition." Tazuna explained before the boat touched land.

[+]

|Wave|

The group got off the boat, but Kakashi had an uneasy feeling. He knew that if they attacked again, it would be by Jonin level ninja this time and backup wouldn't arrive for about a day or two. Suddenly, Naruto heard something off in the bushes and tossed a few shuriken, just barely missing a poor rabbit.

_'Hmm, that rabbit is white, yet we're in the wrong season for that kind of fur,'_ Kakashi thought as he observed the animal with a lazy eye._'That means that this rabbit was kept indoors, only to be used for one purpose... Kawarimi! (Substitution!)'_

Suddenly, a whizzing sound came to his ears, causing the Jonin's eye to widen.

"EVERYONE GET DOWN." He yelled.

All the Genin reacted immediately with the Jonin tackling Tazuna to the ground just as a sword fell over their heads impaling a tree. The one-eyed Jonin looked up at the man who stood on the hilt of the sword.

He was a tall muscular man with short spiky black hair. He had bandages wrapped around his face in the same manner as Kakashi's mask. He was shirtless, save for a belt that looked like where he would hold his sword, and camouflage designed arm warmers. He had blue, baggy pants that were covered by leg warmers of the same design. On his head in a sideways manner was a headband that had the insignia for Kirigakure.

"Ah the Demon of the Mist Zabuza Momochi." Kakashi identified, recalling him from the Bingo book.

"So you know my name, well now I will state my mission." Zabuza drew his sword from the tree. "I am here to kill the old geezer." He pointed said sword at Tazuna who was sweating bullets. Naruto and the others all jumped in front of Tazuna forming a defensive wall, Hinata activating her Byakugan as the boys drew their kunai.

"You will have to get past my team and I first." Kakashi said lifting his headband to reveal the Sharingan.

"So it true. You're Kakashi of the Sharingan, copier of a thousand jutsus. It's an honor to fight you."

Various thoughts went through the minds of members of Team 7.

'How in the world does he have a Sharingan?' Sasuke.

'I thought the Sharingan was the dojutsu of the Uchiha clan... looks like I was wrong.' Atsushi.

'A thousand jutsus?' Hinata.

'Maybe I can get him to teach me some of those jutsu.' Naruto.

"I'm flattered but are we going to fight or not?" Kakashi asked impatiently.

"Hehe… you can't fight what you can't see." Zabuza laughed before making some hand signs.

"He is concentrating a lot of chakra." Hinata informed the others.

"Ninja Art: Hidden in the Mist!"Zabuza called as he faded into the surrounding mist which became thicker by the second.

"Stay in bokuku (box) formation around the client, Zabuza is a master of silent killing." Kakashi ordered before a massive amount of killer intent was felt by everyone.

"Eight points…" A hidden voice whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. "Larynx, Spine, Lung, Jugular vein, Collarbone, Kidney and Heart. Now which one will be my attack point?" The killing intent then doubled, Sasuke drew his kunai to his neck, Naruto puked, Atsushi stumbled and Hinata was on the verge of passing out.

"Fear not guys, I wouldn't let anyone of my students be harmed." Kakashi assured.

"Naruto-kun duck!" Naruto displaying an enormous amount of trust in Hinata did as commanded and narrowly missed being beheaded by the Zabuza's sword. Naruto then slashed at Zabuza's gut using his kunai only for the rogue-nin to turn into water.

"Kakashi-sensei to your right!" Hinata warned, the mentioned tossed a kunai in the said direction, a popping sound was here then a splash. 'A water clone?' the cyclops thought.

"Sensei! Behind you!" The Hyuga yelled. Another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi before he could react and sliced him in half with his blade.

"Ha! You never should have expected it to be that easy Kakashi!" Zabuza gloated. However, Kakashi fell into water as well and the real Konoha Jonin appeared behind the rogue-nin with a kunai to the throat.

"You should follow your own advice," Kakashi said. The Genin were relieved that their sensei was still alive.

Zabuza snorted. "So you were able to copy my Water Clone Jutsu within the mist while you made your little speech. Impressive!"

"This fight is over, you've lost," Kakashi declared as he put the kunai closer to Zabuza's neck. But to his surprise, Zabuza began to chuckle darkly, putting everyone on edge.

"You really think you've won?" Zabuza asked. "You actually think that I'll be defeated by a mere copycat like you?"

"Think again," another Zabuza said as he appeared behind Kakashi. The Jonin cut the first Zabuza's throat to reveal that he was another clone.

The Zabuza behind then kicked Kakashi through the air, hard, and sending him into the lake. Zabuza then moved his sword to his back before running after him on top of the water.

'Why is this water so heavy?' Kakashi asked himself as he struggled to get free. Zabuza flickered into existence behind him and made several hand signs, Hinata saw this but was too late to warn her sensei."Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!"A sphere of water formed around Kakashi trapping him inside.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled.

"If you are trying to escape forget it, the water is so dense that you can move hehe." Zabuza chuckled before turning his attention to Team 7 which Kakashi noticed.

"Take Tazuna and get out of here. Run! Our mission is to protect Tazuna-san! Did you forget?"

The Genin of Team 7 turned their heads back at Tazuna, wanting his input on the matter.

"Don't worry, I caused all of this in the first place, I won't say that want to survive no matter what. Now, go! Save your sensei!" Tazuna exclaimed.

"Ready dobe?" Sasuke asked eagerly.

"You better believe it teme." Naruto replied just as eager.

"Look at you, wearing headband and pretending to be ninja. How pathetic! When I was your age, my hands were soaked with blood…. Hahahahahahaha!" Zabuza laughed.

"What are you talking about?" Atsushi questioned.

"A long time ago, In Kirigakure there was a test that existed to become a ninja." Kakashi stated.

"Oh, and you also know of the final test?" Zabuza asked, slightly interested that a Konoha Shinobi would know.

"F-Final test?" Hinata repeated with a stutter, fearing the worst of the so called final test.

"Unlike your graduation exam, mine included killing the other students." Zabuza answered.

Naruto and the other boys froze up on the spot while Hinata lifted a hand to her mouth out of horror. Committing manslaughter just to graduate?! What the hell was wrong with Kirigakure?!

"Friends, who have eaten together, trained together, are then separated into groups of two and forced to fight each other! It was kill or be killed, don't stop until the opposing enemies are isn't breathing! Friends that helped each other, share dreams, and completed together, all leading up to one slaughter fest of blood." Zabuza explained.

"How awful…" Hinata whispered, shaking violently in her place as tears began to surface in her eyes.

She couldn't imagine having to fight her classmates to the death, especially Naruto…

"Ten years ago, Kirigakure had to go through a reformation. Because in the previous year, a monster appeared that finally did it. That monster, who was a small boy who wasn't even a ninja, killed more than 100 of the candidates that year and without hesitation too." Kakashi explained.

"And it was fun too, now time to finish you. Water Clone Jutsu!"Another clone rose up the water below, charging the second it was formed.

Sasuke and Atsushi charged towards the clone, the latter unable to use a lightning jutsu (since they were all standing with water up to their ankles) grabbed a handful of shuriken from his pouch and tossed them, aiming for the head. The clone using his sword batted them away but couldn't bat away the giant fireball which followed.

"Hmhp." Zabuza said as his clone was evaporated, "I was going easy on you guys, now try stopping this. Water Clone Jutsu!" Three more clones formed from the water below and charged meanwhile Naruto came up with something.

"Sushi retreat, I have an idea but it requires Sasuke to work." The Kishida paused and stared at the blond for a full second before obeying. Naruto and Sasuke charged toward, the prior forming 5 clones to engage Zabuza's clones while the original and Sasuke went for the real Zabuza.

'Going for the real me, how foolish.' Zabuza smiled but that expression didn't last as Naruto made another five clones each wielding a kunai.

[+]

(With Hinata and Atsushi)

On the other side, Atsushi and Hinata were engaging the remaining two clones of the Mist Jonin. Apparently the Narutos only succeeded in defeating one of Zabuza's clones before they were dispelled.

Atsushi's iris changed shape as he activated the first phase of his Nisankugan granting him affinity for water and earth Jutsu.

"Water Style: Water Whip!"Atsushi called as a water whip formed in his hands, he lashed out at one of the clones with his right whip which the clone blocked using his sword. Unfortunately the clone didn't notice that the left whip had wrapped around his right leg before dragging upwards. The clone was suddenly lifted up into the air before the Kishida used his right whip to lash it back into the water dispelling it.

Hinata's battle was a little bit difficult since she had to be in close range to attack. She launched a barrage of Juken strikes which the clone either dodged or blocked with its executioner's blade before sending her sideways with the flat of said blade. She landed safely on her feet and plotted her next more, "Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!"She sent some chakra to her right palm before thrusting the said palm forward firing a vacuum shell of compressed chakra at the clone, the attack although not yet fully mastered was powerful enough in dispelling the clone.

[+]

(With Naruto and Sasuke)

Zabuza swung his blade beheading all the Narutos, "Too easy." He smirked.

"Demon Windmill Shuriken: Windmill of Shadows!"Sasuke launched himself into the air and swiped a giant shuriken right out of his hands, its target flying towards Zabuza.

Zabuza caught the shuriken with his free, but noticed another in its path. Since both hand were occupied, he jumped over the second shuriken which whizzed away. "So that all you got?"

Sasuke just smirked before the shuriken poofed back into Naruto Uzumaki, with a kunai in hand. The sudden appearance shocked everyone excluding Sasuke who knew this was going to happen.

"This is!" Naruto shouted as he threw the kunai aiming for the back of Zabuza's neck. Zabuza this time jumped higher to avoid the kunai unknowingly removing his hand from the water sphere hence releasing Kakashi.

"Good work team." The now freed Kakashi said with an eye smile directed towards his students. "Naruto, your plan was very impressive. Using some Shadow Clones as a diversion to hide the fact that you had transformed yourself into a Demo Windmill Shuriken. Sasuke good job on acting quickly in a tough and quick situation. Atsushi and Hinata great job on defending the client and getting rid of those Water Clones. You all performed excellently."

"Hmph! I lost myself temporarily and cancelled the Water Prison Jutsu." Zabuza said, he couldn't believe that he was outsmarted by a mere Genin. That was extremely embarrassing.

"No, you didn't cancel the technique, you were forced to!" Kakashi retorted, causing Zabuza to growl in response. "Take Tazuna to dry land, things are about to get seriously wet." The Konoha Jonin said to his Genins and was obeyed.

Both Jonins jumped away from each other and began to weaving hand seals like crazy.

"Ushi, Saru, U, Ne, I, Tori, Ushi, Uma, Tori, Ne, Tora, Mi, Ushi, Hitsuji, Mi, Hitsuji, Ne."

"Ushi, Saru, U, Ne, I, Tori, Ushi, Uma, Tori, Ne, Tora, Mi, Ushi, Hitsuji, Mi, Hitsuji, Ne," Kakashi started to make the same hand seals Zabuza made until he caught up to him. He then began to imitate Zabuza's every movement.

"Jin Saru, Tori, Tatsu, Tori, Ushi, Uma, Hitsuji, Tora, Mi, Ne, Saru, U, I, Tatsu, Hitsuji, Ne, Ushi, Saru, Tori, Jin Ne, I, Tori!" Both Jounin's finished their hand seals at the same time. The water they were standing on began to churn.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" They both called.

The two dragons erupted out of the water with glowing yellow eyes of killing intent, all of it aiming towards each other. The faces of the dragons collided, and their bodies turned into a giant wave of water.

The wave was so strong that the water managed to reach the land Hinata, Sasuke, Atsushi, Naruto and Tazuna were standing on, causing them to pump chakra to their feet to avoid being swept away by the water, Naruto and Hinata grabbing onto Tazuna since he couldn't do that.

'This guy... how did he do that?! The Sharingan allows you to copy an opponent's Jutsu, but he copied and executed the moves at the same time!' Zabuza thought to himself as he walked to his right in a semi-circle fashion, prompting Kakashi to go in the same direction from his view, making the exact same steps at the same time.

Zabuza grunted as he lifted his left hand up, while bringing his right hand to his face with his pointer and middle finger pointing to the sky.

Kakashi executed the same movements in perfect synchronization.

"How are you…?"

"Copying your every move?" Kakashi finished.

Zabuza growled, "All you're going is copying me like a damn monkey!" He then began to make some hand seals when he saw a shadow behind Kakashi. Zabuza froze when the shadow cleared up, revealing him behind the Konoha Jonin.

'Is that... ME?! Is this a Genjutsu?' Zabuza thought as his mind tried to comprehend what was happening.

Meanwhile, Kakashi finished the same hand seals that Zabuza made and executed the jutsu he was about to perform.

"Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!" Kakashi shouted as the water began to swirl around him.

"What?! But I was just about to perform that jutsu!" Zabuza cried out in disbelief. He was then swept up in a giant vortex that thrashed him around like a rag doll. The water vortex then tore through the forest, tearing down trees as they stood in the water's path. The Nuke-nin was then thrown against a tree, cracking the wood as he was pushed against it.

Several kunai flew through the air and imbedded themselves on various parts of Zabuza's upper body, just not hitting any vital spots. Zabuza cried out in agony as his flesh was pierced.

Hinata could feel the strain the Byakugan was putting on her eyes for keeping them activated for so long and deactivated them to rest her eyes. However, if she had left them active for another minute she would have seen the figure that appeared on the tree behind them.

"It's over." Kakashi said walking towards Zabuza.

"How? Can you see the future?" Zabuza asked slightly afraid.

"Yes... and your future is death," Kakashi declared as he rose up another kunai and prepared to strike it into the rogue-nin's neck.

But before Kakashi could do anything, two senbon needles flew through the air and stabbed Zabuza in the neck. Zabuza's eyes went wide in shock before he slumped over in death.

Everyone gazed in the direction the two senbon came from to find who took their kill. On the branch of a tree stood the culprit.

The figure was wearing a standard Kirigakure pinstriped outfit which stopped at the knees. Over this was a green haori with white trimmings, and around the waist a brown sash with a fringed trail wrapped also around the waist. The figure wore light-brown platoon sandals along with nail polish covering the fingernails and toenails in matching blue green color. The hair was gathered in a white bun holder, while two locks fell loose framing the face, bound with metal hair cuffs at the ends.

Finally, the most noticeable detail about the figure's appearance, the figure wore a mask, which was white with thin, curved eye-holes and a red wavy design in place of the mouth, as well as the Kirigakure symbol etched in the top.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the person, before averting his gaze down to the seemingly dead Zabuza.

The rest of the Genin, along with Tazuna, were shocked too. They had so much difficulty fighting Zabuza, yet this guy, who looks no taller than Atsushi, easily took him out with little or no difficulty.

Kakashi walked over to the body of Zabuza, checking his pulse to see if he was alive. He shifted his gaze over to the two senbon embedded in the side of his neck.

"He really is dead. And from such precise senbon throws…" To say Kakashi was amazed was an understatement. In his many years of being a Shinobi, he doesn't remember ever encountering someone who can use senbon this efficiently and skillfully.

The masked nin on the branch tilted his or her head forward, as if to take a polite bow to the group.

"Thank you very much. I was looking for a chance to kill Zabuza."

"That mask... if my memory serves me right, then you are a hunter-nin from Kirigakure." Kakashi stated as he looked at the symbol engrained on the mask.

"You are very well informed." The boy complimented as he stood up fully.

"H-Hunter-nins? T-The kind that assassinates exiled ninja who go against the village they originally aligned with?" Hinata widened her eyes as she quivered in her place.

'From his height and voice, he seems to be around the same as Naruto and the rest. Yet... he's a hunter-nin.' Kakashi thought to himself as the mere sight of the boy reminded him of his days in the Anbu.

Naruto took a quick look at Zabuza's corpse, and then at the hunter-nin, constantly switching his views of the two, before settling his eyes on the hunter-nin in front of him, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Naruto bellowed out of anger, the volume of his voice surprising Tazuna, Hinata, Atsushi and Sasuke to some extent. Naruto took multiple breaths, inhaling and exhaling repeatedly. "Did you hear me?! Who the hell are you?!"

"Stand down, Naruto. He is not an enemy." Kakashi commanded his student, much to the boy's dismay as he shot his body towards his sensei, the look of confusion and some other emotions on his face.

"I know that but Zabuza was so strong that he even managed to take you off guard! The four of us barely stood a chance, while this guy, this kid, who looks like he's no older than me, comes out of nowhere and kills him with one move! What does that make the four of us?! Weak?!" Naruto questioned his sensei, who began walking towards him slowly.

"Well, you're right, it might be difficult to understand. But it still happened, Naruto." He threw his hand upon Naruto's blonde hair, causing the boy to wince. "In this world, there are kids who are younger than you... and yet stronger than me. And from what I saw here you guys aren't weak."

Naruto calmed down but still fixed a glare at the hunter-nin.

Atsushi and Hinata didn't know how to feel, Zabuza was their opponent and they should be grateful that he was killed but they didn't.

"Kgh!" Sasuke grunted out of anger at the statement. The fact that he, Sasuke Uchiha, got his ass whooped by Kakashi during the bell test, and that there could be a boy younger than even him, a 13-year old, who is stronger than Kakashi and Zabuza?! He wouldn't believe it!

The hunter-nin lifted his hand as a gust of wind encircled him, and in a flash, he wasn't on the branch anymore. Then, he appeared right next to Zabuza's body.

He picked up the body, wrapping Zabuza's limo around his neck, carrying the body.

"Your battle ends here for now. Now, I must go and dispose of this corpse." The nin stated nonchalantly, "It is one filled with many secrets. Now, if you'll excuse me."

The ninja lifted up his hand, preparing to use the wind technique he had just used to move away, but right before he did, Hinata quickly reactivated her Byakugan and scanned Zabuza's body, and what she saw surprised her.

"Wait he is still alive! His Chakra was still r-running throughout his body." Hinata informed but was too late, the hunter-nin was already gone.

Kakashi's now only visible eye narrowed as he gave her statement some thought. "Hmm, come to think of it, hunter-nins are generally supposed to destroy the body immediately after killing them. Well then, it looks like they'll be back. Good work, Hinata."

Normally Hinata would have accepted the praise but she didn't feel it. She stared at the other gauging their reaction to the information.

Sasuke still had his emo face on, Atsushi seemed to be in thought and Naruto… judging by his clenched fist, he was obviously angry.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata whispered out of concern for her crush. The blond heard it and flashed her one of his signature grins which said that 'everything was fine' but she didn't need her Byakugan to tell that it was fake.

"Well, let's think about that later. For now, let's go get Tazuna-san back to his…" Kakashi trailed off as he felt a wobble in his legs, they began to feel like jelly as he dropped down onto the ground.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto cried out in surprise, running over to the Jonin, prompting the other four to do the same.

"D-Don't worry... I'm fine…" Kakashi grunted as his visible eye winced. "The after effects of using the Sharingan for an extended amount of time…"

'I see... after all, he isn't an Uchiha by blood, his body doesn't have the strength to handle the strain of the Sharingan.' Sasuke concluded inwardly.

"My house isn't very far from here." Tazuna spoke up. The Genin nodded as Tazuna decided to pick up Kakashi's body, but was stopped by Naruto who made some shadow clones for the task.

"Let's go, before they come back."

[+]

|Tazuna's House|

"Tsunami, I'm home!" Tazuna shouted as he opened the door to his house. A young woman with long dark hair appeared in the doorway and hugged Tazuna. She was wearing a pink shirt with red trimmings and a blue dress.

"Tou-san! You're home!" Tsunami exclaimed as she hugged her father. "Oh? Who are these people?" she asked when she saw the Konoha ninja behind Tazuna.

"These are the ninja that protected me on the way here," Tazuna said.

"Ma'am, can we please come inside? Our Sensei needs some medical attention," Hinata asked politely.

"Oh! Yes, please come in," Tsunami ushered everyone inside the house.

[+]

**Some hours later**

"Urgh!"

"Are you okay, Kakashi-san?" The daughter of Tazuna, named Tsunami, asked the Jonin, who was now lying down on a sleeping mat due to exhaustion.

"Am I dead?"

"No, why would you think that?"

"Because I'm staring at the face of an angel."

Tsunami blushed slightly, "Umm… thank you, are you feeling any better?"

"No. I don't think I can move at maximum potential for a couple of days." Kakashi answered as he raised his head off of the pillow.

"If that's the case, then don't move around so much." Tsunami insisted.

"Alright." Kakashi obeyed as he put his head down, letting the blanket drape over practically all of his body. "So where I'm are?"

"My father's house, your students are-" The lady was cut by…

"Sensei's awake!" Naruto's voice came in an excited manner as he, Sasuke, Atsushi and Hinata entered the room along with Tazuna.

"H-How are you feeling, sensei?" Hinata asked quietly, walking up to his side and getting down onto her knees.

"I'll be fine. Just give me a couple of days and I'll be able to move fully again." Kakashi replied. "However, the matter at hand should be about the fact that Zabuza is still alive, and he's out there, biding his time…"

Hinata shivered at the thought of fighting Zabuza again, Naruto noticed this and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Hinata immediately blushed at the contact. 'Thank you Naruto-kun.'

"We have to be ready for him." Atsushi said, Sasuke nodded agreeing with him.

"I'm going to put you through some training but I need to rest for a while." Kakashi responded lying back down.

"It's not going to help at all." The voice of a young boy could be heard now in the room. The group turned to the entrance to see a boy with black hair wearing a white hat with two blue stripes. He had a yellow shirt under a green jumpsuit with two grey buttons.

"And who are you?" Naruto asked suddenly not liking the boy.

"Inari! Where were you?" Tazuna asked the boy, Inari, who ran up to him, embracing him into a tight hug.

"I'm home, grandpa."

"Inari, say hello to them, these are ninja that escorted your grandfather." Tsunami scolded her son.

An uneasy atmosphere formed around the room for everyone to feel. Inari looked at the four Genin, particularly Naruto, with dark emotionless eyes. He let go of Tazuna and looked up his mother.

"Mom, they're going to die. There's no way anyone can win against Gato." Inari responded to his mother.

"What did you say, you brat?!" Naruto rose to feat, slightly ticked off, before grinning and jabbing a finger in Inari's direction. "Listen up, I'm a great ninja who's going to become known as Hokage, a hero! I don't care who Gato is, but he won't stand a chance against us!"

"A hero? How stupid. There's no such thing as a hero." Inari retorted in response. Naruto made a noise of anger as he began to charge at Inari, wanting to teach him a lesson, however, he froze in his tracks when he felt a soft skinned hand grab his arm.

He looked down to his left to see Hinata looking at him, her eyes saying 'Please don't'. Naruto read the expression and calmed down.

"If you don't want to die, you should just go home." Inari ran off with that statement, completely getting away with his rudeness.

"Where are you going, Inari?" Tazuna enquired as his grandson put his hands on the door, the boy responding with that he was going to watch the ocean.

"I'm sorry for my grandson's rudeness, he's gone through a lot." Tazuna apologized with the slight bow of his head.

[+]

Omake (ABS)

|Konoha Hospital|

**13 years ago**

"DAIKI-KUN! WHERE IS DAIKI-KUN?" Sara yelled out, she was in the delivery room being to attended by a group of medical experts.

"Nurse please bring in her husband." The doctor ordered. A second later Daiki was brought into the room.

"DAIKI-KUN COME OVER HERE AND HOLD MY HAND." Sara ordered, Daiki was immediately by her side. His wife grabbed his hand and crushed it.

"Don't worry Sara-chan you are doing great." Daiki encouraged, the death grip on his hand was killing him.

"I see a head." A nurse notified the doctor present.

"OK Mrs. Kishida I need you to push on the count of three, ready?"

"I'm ready."

"One."

Sara calmed her mind.

"Two."

It's now or never.

"Three."

Sara released an ear shattering scream as she gave it all her strength. The screams soon die down being replaced by a new born baby.

"It's a boy." The nurse informed, handing over the child to its mother.

Sara stared at the child for a bit, "Looks like He has his father's hair and eyes."

"I told you my genes were more dominant than yours." Daiki playfully said before carrying his son, "But he does have the shape of your nose."

"So what should we name him?" Sara asked watching her husband and son.

"I was thinking about the name 'Ari' you?"

"Atsushi, the name of my grandfather." Sara replied, that was also the name of First Yosokage Ataxin.

"Hmm Atsushi." Daiki said staring at his sleeping son. "It's perfect."

[+]

Team 7 Stats

**Genin:**

Naruto: 145 cm, 40 kg, 13 yrs

Hinata: 147 cm, 37 kg, 13 yrs

Atsushi: 149 cm, 41 kg, 13 yrs

Sasuke: 150 cm, 42 kg, 13 yrs

**Jonin:**

Areku (Unofficial Assistant): 182 cm, 65 kg, 26 yrs

Kakashi (Main Jonin): 181 cm, 67 kg, 27 yrs

[+]

**A/N: **Please review and follow.

24/9/20: Minor changes.

Total number of words: 5559 words

Jamesco1292002


	5. Chapter 5

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast Talking"**

'**Tailed Beast Thinking'**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**Chapter 5: Preparations**

[+]

**Next Morning**

|Wave|

After an early breakfast, Team 7 assembled outside of Tazuna's home for their training. Kakashi wasn't feeling all that great but he had to prepare his team for their next encounter against Zabuza and the fake hunter-nin.

"Listen up guys, we only have a week before Zabuza is back to full strength, so we will be spending the entire week working on some chakra control exe-"

He stopped as he noticed that someone was sprinting towards their direction, the individual was still far away that he couldn't make out who the person what.

"Be on guard everyone." Kakashi instructed his Genin just in case it was another missing-nin after Tazuna. The figure soon came within viewing and the Cyclops immediately recognized who he was.

"Areku? Is that you?"

"In the flesh." The Kishida Jonin replied.

"But why are you here? You're a liaison between Arashi and Konoha."

"Liaisons can also go on missions for their allies in case you didn't know." The Jonin Kishida explained with a shrug.

"Okay but are you alone?"

"Yeah the other Jonins are away and I was the only one available." Areku said before taking a look at the Genin.

"Judging by the lack of injuries I say they performed well on their first counter with B-rank nuke-nins." Areku said referring to the Demon Brothers.

"It's been upped to an A-rank." Kakashi said confusing the green-haired Jonin, "We encountered Zabuza." He further explained.

"Of the seven swordsmen?" Kakashi nodded, "I see, how about I take over the Genins' training for some days."

Kakashi promptly agreed, retreating back into the house for some rest. Areku turned to the remaining members of Team 7.

"I'm impressed you guys fought against both Zabuza of the Mist and the Demon Brothers and still came out in one piece, this shows that you guys have potential and I'm not saying this because Ari-kun happens to be on your team."

"Ari-kun?" Naruto chuckled at the pet name.

"Don't even think about it." His green haired friend replied, coating his hands with lightning as a sign of what will befall him.

"Are you Atsushi's uncle?" Hinata asked politely, gaining the elder's attention. If she didn't know better she would have thought that the man in front of her was Atsushi's dad.

"Yes I am and who are you my dear?" The senior Kishida asked with a smile.

"Hinata Hyuga." She replied.

"Well then you must be the prettiest Hyuga I have ever seen." the green-haired Jonin complimented and earned a blush from the girl.

Meanwhile Sasuke was busy analyzing the Kishida Jonin in front of him. 'Judging by his appearance he's either an ANBU agent or a high ranking shinobi, so Naruto has been taking lessons from him for the past eight weeks... No wonder the dobe improved so much.' He thought.

The Uchiha was snapped out of his thoughts by the question directed to him.

"You're Sasuke right?" Areku asked and waited for the raven-haired's reply.

"Yes." the Uchiha scoffed finding the question ridiculous. Areku rolled his eyes then turned to the others.

"Today you guys will be learning the Water Walking Technique." Areku informed and lead them to the edge of a nearby lake where he will begin their training.

"Now then, Water Walking is the same as Tree Walking, but instead of just letting out a set amount of chakra, you have to constantly change it because of the moving water," Areku explained as he focused chakra into his feet and walked onto the lake, like how Kakashi and Zabuza did when they fought.

"Hinata, I want you to use your Byakugan and tell me what you see," Areku said as he faced the Genin. Hinata nodded and activated her Byakugan before taking a close examination at Areku's feet as they expelled chakra.

"You're s-sending out chakra a-at stronger p-points when the w-water shifts in o-order to keep y-your balance," Hinata said with some stutters in between.

Areku nodded and said, "Very good, now I want you guys to give this a try."

The four Genin nodded then started to practice. Naruto went first but used too much chakra and was launched into the air, landing in a tree. Sasuke used too little and sunk into the water, only to come back up shivering as the water was cold. Atsushi succeeded in taking 5 steps before sinking to his waist level, the Kishida teen shivered a bit then swam back to shore to try again. Hinata took a step on the lake and tested her technique, once she was satisfied, she took several more steps. Eventually she was 10 feet away from the shore and sunk only to her ankles.

"Very good Hinata, looks like the Hyuga's are good with their chakra control lessons," Areku said impressed. Naruto on his second try sunk up to his chest and gave Hinata a grin that made her lose her focus, sending her into the lake with a shriek. She came back up with a gasp and practically flashed to the shore where she began to shiver, but what she didn't know was that Naruto was staring at her with a large blush since her wet jacket hugged her body more showing some of those feminine features, this resulted in Naruto submerging himself into the water to get rid of the blush before any noticed especially Atsushi. Areku instructed the three boys to work on the exercise, before noon Atsushi finally managed to break through after thirteen attempts and joined Hinata who refining the technique by doing various physical exercises such as running, jumping and skating on the surface of the water. Sasuke and Naruto were still struggling to get the water walking exercise resorted to taking off all but their shorts so that their clothes wouldn't become any more soaked than they already were. Hinata promptly fainted at the sight of a shirtless Naruto who had gained a bit of muscle thanks to the chakra weights he had on.

At the end of the day, Naruto and Sasuke were getting close. They were each able to hold the chakra flow for a few seconds before falling through. Like the tree climbing exercise, they had inadvertently turned this into some sort of competition, not wanting the other one to best them. Late at night, Sasuke managed to get the exercise down first but Naruto was only an attempt or two behind, showing Sasuke that the 'dobe' really wasn't that far behind after him all.

Back at Tazuna's house Naruto and Sasuke showed up, finally. Areku was glad that the two had finally gotten the basics down. He gave the two boys one more day to refine their technique while he, Hinata and Atsushi would join Tazuna on the bridge for guard duty.

The following day, Naruto and Sasuke were back at the lake, working on the same thing that Sakura was doing the other day. Both boys were getting impatient by this as there was really no way for them to compete against one another. And then Sasuke made a suggestion.

"Naruto, fight me" he said. It was true, he wanted to fight Naruto. Even though he always wiped the floor with Naruto back in the academy, he had taken notice of the blonde's rapid progress under the green Jonin. Now he wanted to fight the blonde.

"What?" Naruto asked slightly surprised.

"You heard me, Dobe. Fight me, right here. The first one to either give up or fall through the surface loses. Or are you afraid scaredy cat?" Sasuke taunted.

That last phrase did it as Naruto accepted the challenge. "That's it, I'm finally going to kick your ass and show to you what a good ninja I actually am!"

Naruto ran at Sasuke, only to receive a foot in the gut, sending him sliding back across the water and through the surface. Round 1 went to Sasuke.

"Come on, is that all you've got?" said Sasuke.

Naruto picked himself out of the water and berated himself for forgetting one of Areku's teaching; never rush into a battle without a plan and backup plan.

"Heh, I was just warming up." Naruto said. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"he said as 6 clones puffed into existence and attacked Sasuke. All six clones and the real Naruto charged Sasuke and the Uchiha soon found himself unable to fend off seven attackers at once, sooner than he had expected he found himself submerged underwater.

'Perhaps there was something more to the Dobe after all.' Sasuke smirked and charged once more.

The two sparred for hours and eventually settled for a draw.

"Hn, perhaps you're not so much of a Dobe after all. Let's go back." Sasuke said. That had been just what he wanted, some actual training that made him stronger, not just some meaningless running and jumping around on the surface of the water. Naruto stared at the Uchiha wide eyed. Did Sasuke actually compliment him for once? Naruto grinned at the Uchiha. "What's the matter giving up already?" he huffed.

"Dobe you can barely keep yourself afloat. The last thing I need is to drag your unconscious and drowned body back to Areku." Sasuke said, panting as hard as Naruto.

Both boys had to admit it. That last match was good enough to bring them to this point. To emphasize on that fact, they had to rely on each other to drag the other home.

[+]

After two entire days of rest Kakashi took over his team's training not before thanking Areku for teaching his Genin the water walking technique, the Kishida pleased with the sign of gratitude offered to help guard Tazuna at the bridge which both parties accepted. After the two had left the Cyclops realize that he was running out of what to teach his students since they have already learnt the basics required for one to be an all rounded shinobi.

'I guess there isn't anything else so elemental jutsu it is.' The silver-haired Jonin sighed and pulled out a paper from his pocket then infused it with his chakra, making the paper to wrinkle. "You all know what this is?" he asked and received a nod from each Genin. "And you all know your respective affinities?"

"Fire." Sasuke answered.

"Wind." Naruto.

"Lightning." Atsushi stated his main affinity.

"Water." Hinata.

"Hmm… no earth but that's a start. Now I will be teaching each of you an elemental jutsu, once you are done mastering one you may come to me for another. Agreed?"

"Hn."

"Sounds good."

"Yea."

"Ok."

Kakashi nodded before listing out their assigned jutsus. "Now Sasuke your great fireball Jutsu although powerful is a slow technique which can be dodged but this-" He weaved a couple of hand seals before-

"Fire Style: Flamethrower Jutsu!" A stream of red hot fire shot out of his mouth with impressive speed towards a tree incinerating it. Sasuke's jaw dropped a little bit at the demonstration, 'Such power! Such speed! Must have it'

"This technique is a lot faster than your Fireball Jutsu so your opponent will have a hard time trying to dodge it." Kakashi explained before turning to the blonde.

"Now Naruto, most wind techniques requires a medium to be effective and this." He pulled out a kunai from his pouch, "Is just what you need."

Naruto looked at the blade with confusion, "It's just a plain kunai."

"Ah but look closely." Naruto obeyed and looked closely, noticing a faint blue glow surrounded the entire length of the kunai. "This is the Wind Blade Technique, it is achieved by channeling wind chakra into a medium like a blade, fan or in this case a kunai."

"Cool so what does it do?" The Blonde asked, the rest were as interested in what it could do.

"It increases it cutting or piercing power like this." Kakashi tossed the kunai at a tree, the entire blade impaled right into the tree bark, only the hilt was visible. "But that's not all watch this." He grabbed another kunai.

"Wind Style: Wind Slash!"Kakashi swung the kunai releasing a horizontal hemispherical slash which slashed the tree in two cleanly, the top half falling to the ground. Naruto had stars in his eyes at the display.

"Atsushi, most of your techniques are medium to long range so you will be learning this." Kakashi weaved another set of hand signs.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Lance!"His right hand sparked with electricity before forming a large electric spearhead. "In case your opponent gets too close for comfort use this on them, not only those it pierces but also electrocutes your opponent." Receiving a nod from the Kishida, he turns to Hinata.

"Now Hinata your clan doesn't make use of elemental jutsu so you are struck with practicing your clan techniques for now."

The Hyuga nodded sadly, she did want to learn some elemental jutsu but the elders frown upon the use of such jutsu stating that it was inferior to their Jyuken techniques.

Kakashi started off teaching Sasuke the Flamethrower, while sending Hinata and Atsushi to accompany Tsunami through town as she went to pick up groceries and Naruto went with Areku to help guard the bridge.

[+]

|Bridge|

Naruto was sitting on a beam while keeping an eye on Tazuna and his workers, not that there were a lot of them anyway. He glanced to his left and spotted Areku who was surveying the area for any sign of trouble, he watched the Jonin Kishida for a few second before returning his gaze back to the workers.

Tazuna was welding some metal together when one of the workers came up to him. "Yes Gichi? What is it?"

"I'm sorry Tazuna, but I can't keep doing this," Gichi said. "Gato is going to make everything worse if we keep doing this."

"Gichi! You can't do this! If you leave, then it'll take longer to finish the bridge! Do you want this country to remain poor and dying?" Tazuna asked.

Gichi shook his head and said, "I just can't keep risking my family's lives like this."

Tazuna shook his head and continued to work. "Then go, I have no need for cowards on this construction crew." Gichi sighed and walked off the bridge. Tazuna also sighed then turned to Naruto and said, "It's been like this for a while, people are starting to get scared of Gato and are leaving to try and stay out of this."

"So you need workers?" Naruto asked as he hopped off the beam and stood before the elderly man. "Then I've got you covered, Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" The sight of a hundred copies of Naruto appearing out of thin air rendered the bridge builder speechless for some seconds.

"Alright guys grab some hammers, shovels, cement, logs of wood and help out in any way you can." Naruto ordered and with the cries of yes boss, the clones immediately set to work

Tazuna stared at the large group in disbelief before he shook his head and said, "You're just the kind of person I need. Let's get to work."

Areku just smiled at the blond teenager, 'I will have to show him another use of his shadow clones once they got back to Konoha.' He mentally noted before resuming his survey.

[+]

**Later That Night**

|Tazuna's House|

Team 7, Areku and Tazuna's family were at the dinner table having dinner which Tsunami had cooked with Hinata's help. Naruto and Sasuke were chowed down almost at the speed of light, Atsushi and Areku ate at normal speed while Kakashi and Tazuna ate slowly, the latter having a bottle of sake at his side.

Tsunami was busy cleaning the dishes but would occasionally cast a glance at Kakashi when he wasn't looking.

Inari and Hinata, barely touched their food.

Hinata currently had a lot on her mind. Kakashi had sent her and Atsushi off to guard Tsunami while she went grocery shopping, and as they were going through town to get ingredients, the Hyuga was horrified to see the condition of Nami no Kuni (Land of Waves) and its people.

Kids were practically begging people for food, or munching down little pieces of bread, Men holding up written signs saying 'I will do any job' while other people wore ragged clothes, and they looked like they had seen better days.

Even the shop they went to for ingredients had barely any food in it.

It was then that Tsunami told both Genins the importance of the bridge. Once it was completed, the poverty of the place could halt, and they wouldn't have to be in the depression they were currently in anymore.

Hinata had remembered a little girl tugging at her side, begging for food. She had given her the food, but felt bad for everyone she saw. After she had given the girl food, other kids looked at her with hopeful eyes, but she couldn't spare a lot, especially since Tsunami was handling the food. Atsushi also helped but could only afford for four kids.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Naruto and Sasuke barfing their recently swallowed food. Since they had practically shoved it down their throats, eager to get back to mastering their new jutsus.

"N-Naruto-kun, Sasuke-san… you guys shouldn't f-force the food down your mouth…" Hinata mumbled to her teammates.

Sasuke looked at her as if she had two heads, "No, must get stronger!"

Naruto nodded his head out of agreement. "Yeah! If I want to get stronger, then I have to eat as much as I can! Besides, this stuff is really good!"

"If that's so, then you might want to stop forcing the food down your mouth, both of you are puking." Kakashi scolded.

"It's a waste of perfectly good food." Areku joined in.

"Which the villagers don't have." Atsushi added before he resumed eating. Both boys after hearing that felt bad and reduced their eating pace.

"Hinata, thanks for helping me cook all of this." Tsunami said out loud,

"N-No problem." The Hyuga heiress replied.

"Wow, Hinata! You made some of this stuff?! You must be one damn of a good cook!" Naruto exclaimed, causing the girl to blush heavily as she put her hands on her face.

"I just helped Tsunami-san, that's all." Hinata quickly said, not wanting all the praise for herself. Hinata then looked away from Naruto, and that is when she noticed a picture frame up on the wall.

It looked like any other ordinary family picture. There was Tazuna, Tsunami and Inari, who was actually smiling joyfully, a complete contrast to his current demeanor. And then… A tear in the picture.

From the looks of it, there seemed to be a fourth picture with them. Inari's father? Or maybe a sibling?

"U-Umm... if you don't mind m-me asking, why is that picture ripped?"

Tazuna, Inari, and Tsunami all tensed at the mention of the picture. But the stiffest one of them all was Inari.

"It's my husband." Tsunami answered in a raspy voice, with a hint of sadness.

"He was the man known as the hero of this town." Tazuna started to speak, only to freeze when Inari rose up from his chair, running to the door with his hat covering his eyes.

"Inari, where are you going?" Tsunami called after her son, who opened the door and shut it hard behind him, leaving Team 7 staring at where the boy once was in awe.

Tsunami soon followed and opened the door slightly, before turning to Tazuna with an angry look on her face.

"Father, I told you not to talk about him in front of Inari!" And with that, Tsunami let and shut the door behind her.

And with the shut of that door came a wave of guilt which dumped down on Hinata.

What she had just mentioned seemed to be a sensitive topic for the family of three.

_'__Why did I have to say that? I'm so stupid!'_ Hinata belittled herself inwardly as she looked down at the floor.

"I-I'm... sorry…" Hinata apologized as she took a deep bow toward a Tazuna, "I didn't know it was so sensitive."

"It's alright. Well, since you know about Inari's father, I guess I should tell you about him. The man in the picture is Inari's father yes, but not biologically. Inari and he were so close, like a real father and son. Inari used to laugh so much back then, But…"

Tazuna's hands tightened into fists, the nails digging deep into his skin as small tears dropped down Tazuna's face.

"Ever since that day after the incident with Inari's father the boy has changed... and not for the better."

"And what happened with Inari during the incident?" Kakashi asked the old man, who looked up to face Team 7, a grave look appeared on the man's face as he adjusted his glasses.

"To explain the incident, I will need to talk about the man who was known as a hero on this island." Tazuna took off his glasses as he wiped off the single tear that trailed down his face.

"A hero?" Naruto repeated.

"It was about three or so years ago. That's when Inari met the man. One day, Inari was ambushed by three people, two of them restrained him while the other one forced him to watch his dog, Pochi, drown in the water." Tazuna began the story, immediately getting a gasp of horror from Hinata.

_'__They made him watch his dog drown?! How cruel…' She thought._

"Inari wanted to save his dog, but he hesitated when the three let him go. He was scared, due to the fact that he couldn't swim. However one of the men pushed Inari into the water urging the boy to save his dog. Then, Pochi actually learned how to dog paddle, and he left Inari to drown, abandoning him." Tazuna continued, remembering how horrified he was when he learned that his grandson had almost died, "Thankfully, Inari was pulled out of the water before drowning."

"And the one who saved him…" Kakashi trailed off to let Tazuna finish.

"Yes, it was that man. A great, strong man named Kaiza. He was a fisherman who had become hero to fulfill his dream. Ever since that day, Inari adored him, mostly because he never got to know his own father. It wasn't long before Kaiza also walked his way into my daughter's heart and became part of our family."

Naruto closed his eyes and smiled as he continued to listen, hoping to become a hero like that, one who the people would look to him for help... where they would acknowledge him as a great man.

"Kaiza was also the man that our village needed. After Kaiza prevented a sector of the village from being flooded, the people began to call him a hero, and he became a father Inari could be proud of." Tazuna smiled at the memory, before curving his lips into a deep frown. "But... around that time, Gato has turned his eye on this town. And one night…"

Tazuna grimaced as he remembered the day the hero died.

"After Kaiza spoke up against Gato's actions he was captured by Gato's men then beaten up to near death. Gato even went as far as ordering that both of his arms be cut off."

Tears began to sprout in Hinata's eyes as she knew what was going to happen next.

"The next day, Gato had Kaiza publicly executed as a way to discourage the people from ever standing up against Gato again. And he threatened that if anyone were to stand up like Kaiza did, they would meet the same fate as him. Ever since Inari, Tsunami, and all the other people of the village changed."

After that last statement, came silence.

Utter silence.

Naruto clenched his fist, jumping out of his seat, and taking a step towards the door, but due to his fatigue, he merely collapsed to the ground face first.

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata spoke the name of her crush out of surprise.

"If you're trying to go out and train, don't even try. You used way too much Chakra. If you try to train anymore, you'll die." Kakashi warned Naruto.

"Kakashi-sensei is right, you can continue tomorrow." Atsushi said helping Naruto to stand on his feet.

From the amount of time had been training, even someone with Naruto's Chakra capacity could barely move afterwards. Training now is not a good idea.

"I'll show him," Naruto said, rising to his feet slowly, his legs trembling uncontrollably, "That there are heroes in this world…"

"I'll prove it to him!"

[+]

**Morning, 2 days later**

"Good morning…" Hinata greeted the occupants of the room with a small yawn. Immediately after entering the room, she noticed that Naruto was the only one who wasn't there.

'Is he still out training?' Hinata wondered as she took a seat at the table. Tsunami walked over to her with a plate of food, placing it down in front of her on the table.

"Thank you very much." Hinata gave Tsunami a small bow with her head.

"Naruto is still training his ass off like a madman, huh?" Tazuna spoke as he took a bite into his food.

"I-I'm starting to get worried about it. I-If he pushes himself too hard, he could die by using too much Chakra." Hinata said glumly as she looked down at the food, the sudden prospect of Naruto dying completely devouring her appetite.

"There shouldn't be anything to worry about. Even if he doesn't look like one, Naruto is a decent ninja." Kakashi assured Hinata to ease her worries.

"I don't know about that. That dobe might actually be dead."

"What?"

"Sasuke stop messing with her." Atsushi said glaring at the raven haired. Sasuke glared back but was ignored as the green haired focused on Hinata. "I'm sure that Naruto isn't going to die from chakra exhaustion, he has enormous chakra reservoirs remember?"

"Yes, I guess you're right." Hinata muttered.

"If you like you can go check up on him?" Atsushi offered.

The Hyuga immediately stood up from her chair, "Of course, thanks Atsushi-san." She said as she began to walk towards the entrance of the house.

Once she was gone Tazuna chuckled slightly, "Judging by how eager she is, I will say that she got something for the boy."

"Well she doesn't seem to be hiding it." Kakashi replied.

[+]

|Wave Forest|

Once Hinata had gotten into the forest where she had thought Naruto would be training, she saw a young lady, wearing a pink sleeveless kimono, having a conversation with Naruto, she quickly his behind a tree and watched.

Hinata couldn't help feeling sad and a little bit jealous at the look Naruto was giving the girl. That was the look on every boy's face whenever they found a girl attractive and Hinata wanted Naruto to give her that kind of look.

Soon the girl left and Hinata stepped out of her hiding spot.

"This world is full of many mysteries…" Hinata could Naruto mutter; he had his eyes closed, so he didn't know that Hinata was present with him.

'Ok, Hinata, you can do this, just say one word, that's all!' Hinata inwardly slapped herself twice to make sure she was ready.

"Naruto-kun." She whispered.

Naruto's ears picked up the whisper Hinata made as he opened his eyes to see her playing with her fingers, glancing away from him.

"Hinata? What are you doing here?" He asked.

"N-N-Naruto-kun I-I justwantedtoletyouknowthatbreakfastisready!" She stammered out the words at the speed of light. Man was she nervous.

Naruto blinked at what Hinata said, "You wanted to let me know that breakfast is ready?"

"Yes and... You shouldn't push yourself so hard…" Hinata warned her friend in a barely audible whisper, fortunately for her, Naruto picked up her words.

"You shouldn't worry about me like that and besides, how is yours faring?"

"…Well good." Hinata replied, she had finally mastered the Vacuum palm but still had problems with the Rotation and 64 palms. Naruto detected a hint of sadness in her reply.

"It's ok if you counter some bumps along the way what matters is that you kept on going." Hinata smiled at his words, Naruto always had a way of making anyone feel good about themselves and that's one of the qualities she liked about him.

"Naruto-kun, thank you."

"No problem, How about we spar before heading back?" He suggested, "I haven't sparred against a Hyuga before."

After receiving a nod from the now speechless Hyuga, Naruto stepped off his left foot and leaped backwards, forming a hand sign and declared,"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Five clones poofed into existence and together with the original they all charged towards Hinata, who could only gulped before entering her Gentle Fist stance.

[+]

**An hour later**

**Clap! Clap!**

**Smack! Smack!**

Atsushi followed the sounds deep into the woods and soon located both Naruto and Hinata. Although both were a bit worn out they seemed quite happy sparing against each other. Hinata wasn't trying to shut down Naruto's chakra points unless the spar will be short-lived. Naruto won't form more than five clones to prevent Hinata from being overwhelmed. Actually it seemed like the two were sparing and dancing at the same time, unable bring himself to stop the rhythmic display Atsushi sat down and watched.

Hinata's movements seemed to be getting just a little bit better along with her reaction times.

Naruto's taijutsu seems to have improved as well, along with Naruto's clones.

Originally before attending Kishidan boot camp, Naruto would practically charge the enemy head on without a care in the world. And his clones, much worse. His clones had acted like they didn't have a brain, they just ran around the battlefield swinging at the opponent randomly.

But now, they had moments of coordination. Although not as much as the original, the clones did managed to get a couple of hits on Hinata.

Naruto soon went out of rhythm aiming a punch at Hinata's face, but it was slow, Hinata easily sidestepped it and gave Naruto a palm to the chest, forcing a little Chakra in to her strike to blow Naruto backwards.

"OW!" Naruto yelped as his body hit the floor, unable to get up again as he looked up at the sky panting and wheezing. Maybe training vigorously overnight was not such a good idea.

"Well well, what do we have here? Two Genin hard at work," The calm and lazy voice of Kakashi Hatake droned as Hinata turned to see him and Sasuke walking towards them. "Hinata, you never ate breakfast, you should head back, you too, Naruto and where is Atsushi?"

"Right here sensei." Atsushi said under a tree, "Sorry I got distracted watching them spar."

"Well at least everyone is safe." Kakashi sighed before facing Hinata. "So are you hungry?"

The blue haired shook her head, "I'm not hungry right now, so I will be fine."

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, who was lying down on the forest floor.

"Hn, dumbass."

Naruto's ears picked up the insult as a tick mark formed on Naruto's head. With new found energy due to Sasuke merely insulting him, Naruto sat up straight and glared at Sasuke.

"You've got something to say, teme?!"

"Hard of hearing, dobe?"

"ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT!" Naruto jumped up fully, getting close to Sasuke's face, "ME! YOU!" Naruto pointed to the two trees behind him, "THOSE TWO TREES, RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW!"

"You're on." Sasuke began weaving hand signs. "Fire Style: Flamethrower Jutsu!"

A stream of red hot fire identical to Kakashi's shot out of Sasuke's incinerating the tree, reducing it to ash.

"Hmm…" Naruto hummed as he stared at the burnt tree, "Now my turn." The blonde said grabbing a kunai from his pouch.

"Wind Style: Wind Blade Technique!" He channeled some wind chakra into the kunai, a faint blue glow appearing around the weapon. "Wind Slash!"

He swung the kunai unleashing a hemispherical slash towards another tree slashing it in half.

Kakashi's jaw dropped, his students had mastered a C-rank jutsu in two days. Soon they will be coming for more Justus and that meant more teaching. He had to distract them for the mean time.

"Ok, since you guys are down with your various jutsu, head on to the bridge, I am sure Areku and Tazuna are waiting for you."

Sasuke and Naruto nodded before sprinting off. Kakashi heaved a sigh of relief, disaster averted.

"Oh Kakashi-sensei."

Or not.

"Yes Atsushi." He answered nervously.

"I require a few more demonstrations." The Kishida smiled a sinister smile which sent shivers went down the Jonin's spine.

[+]

Omake

**2 month ago**

|Training Grounds 7|

The members of Team 7 were already at their training grounds patiently waiting for their sensei. After an hour Kakashi was nowhere around the training ground. The team was bored and Naruto restless, so Atsushi decided to help them improve their chakra control by performing the tree climbing exercise while they waited for the cyclops. Naruto went first, Hinata followed almost immediately interested in what her crush was learning and Sasuke, well he got intrigued once the Kishida explained that the exercise will make the learning of more powerful and complex jutsu a lot easier.

"Ok guys the exercise is very easy to understand, you gather chakra in the soles of your feet and use it to climb the tree. But be careful, if you use too much you'll go flying off, and using too little won't allow your feet to stick to the tree," Atsushi explained. "Use your kunai to mark your progress." Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata chose their respective trees, gathered some chakra in their soles and began to climb the tree. Naruto and Sasuke fell before they reached the half way mark; Hinata crossed it before she lost concentration and also fell, lucky Atsushi saved her from a rough landing.

[+]

**Some tries and minutes later**

"And the winner is Hinata!" Atsushi announced as he spotted Hinata sitting on top of the tree she had climbed.

'Seems like the Hyuga clan has pretty good chakra control, she got it down under 10 minutes while it took me 2 hours… Must be because of their Gentle fist' Atsushi wondered before smiling at the shocked expressions on the other boys' faces.

"H-Hinata?!" Naruto cried out of shock as he looked up in awe. Even from her spot on the tree top, Atsushi could see the tint of red on her face.

"That was totally awesome." The blonde cheered as Hinata's blush intensified.

"T-Thank you."

Atsushi then had an idea on how to speed up the exercise, "Good control and stamina, Hinata. Maybe you and not a certain blonde Uzumaki is the closest to becoming Hokage. And maybe the Uchiha clan isn't as superior as I thought." The green haired taunted.

Hinata looked down at Naruto and Sasuke to see their reactions; the two boys were giving each other competitive looks. Even Atsushi could see the fire in their eyes and decided to get them a little push.

"You guys have an hour before Kakashi-sensei arrives so make the best of it."

"Ready teme?" Naruto asked, a fox like grin on his face.

"I was born ready dope, don't forget that!" Sasuke replied with a smirk.

The boys charged towards their respective trees with blazing speeds, surpassing their pervious marks before falling back to earth but that didn't stop them as they immediately recovered and charged once more.

[+]

**A/N:** Well hope you enjoyed this. Expect some amazing Eight Trigrams moves from Hinata after the wave arc.

Next chapter: Team Seven vs. The Ice Demons pt 1.

24/9/20: Minor changes.

Total number of words: 5991 words.

Jamesco1292002


	6. Chapter 6

"Talking"

"SHOUTING/ SCREAMING/ YELLING"

'Thoughts'

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast Talking"**

'**Tailed Beast Thinking'**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**Chapter 6: Team Seven Vs Ice Demons pt 1**

[+]

**Next day**

Dinner was being set when Hinata, Atsushi, Kakashi, Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari turned their heads towards the door at the sound of wood creaking and followed by the door shutting behind the people who entered.

Two figures entered the building covered in dirt and grime from their hair to toe even their clothes weren't spared, both barely managing to walk, bending their backs over as they could barely walk up straight.

In fact, one of them needed the other to hold them up for support.

"Naruto-kun... Sasuke-san…" Hinata recognized the two.

"And why do you two look so dirty?" Tazuna asked the boys.

"We had a pretty interesting spar." Naruto answered with a grin, Kakashi nodded his head out of approval.

"So who won?" Atsushi asked.

"It ended in a draw." Sasuke deadpanned, he didn't seem happy about the outcome of the spar.

Earlier Kakashi had seen both boys challenge each other in a taijutsu battle and was clearly impressed with their forms. "Naruto, Atsushi, Sasuke, Hinata you guys are showing remarkable improvement in every aspect of your training. I'm proud of you guys."

Sasuke closed his eyes and let out a small smile while Naruto lifted his fist up in the air forcibly, followed by him and Sasuke leaning backwards and dropping to the ground on their bottoms.

"You stupid idiot!" Sasuke insulted as the others except Inari began to laugh, with Kakashi and Hinata being the quietest.

"The bridge is almost complete." Tazuna informed the group after managing to sit Naruto and Sasuke down at the table. "It's all thanks to you."

"But don't push yourselves too hard." Tsunami warned the Genin, Naruto and Sasuke in particular due to late sparring.

"I wanted to ask this for a while now, but... why did you decide to continue on with the mission even when you found out I lied about the mission details?" Tazuna asked Kakashi directly.

"Not doing the right thing when knowing it is right is the coward's way out. Under a strong and valiant commander, there is no such thing as cowardice and weak soldiers." Kakashi quoted, much to the confusion of Tazuna and Tsunami. Seeing and picking up the confused faces, Kakashi clarified, "They're the teachings of the previous Hokage."

"Well since everyone is here, it's time to reveal the plan." Areku said as he took a sit besides Kakashi, "As we all know Zabuza should make an appearance at the bridge tomorrow." Tazuna visibly flinched which the Kishida noticed, "Fear not we will allow not any harm befall you or your family members."

"Thank you."

"Now here is the plan, Kakashi and three of the Genin will escort Tazuna to the bridge to face Zabuza while I and one of the Genin will stay back here in case Gato sends some thugs here."

"So who gets to stay back?" Sasuke asked because there was no way he was going to miss a clash between giants.

"I wouldn't force anyone to stay back." Areku stated, "He or She will just have to volunteer so anyone?"

Silence followed that question for about a minute. Unknown to everyone, Inari was glaring at Naruto who seemed content, eyes closed and his arms on the table without a care in the world.

Inari arms began to tremble as he began to clench his fists and grit his teeth so hard and for so long that he didn't know he was doing it. His vision began to blur as he felt drops of water in his eyes.

"Why…" He asked.

"Huh? Why what?" Naruto raised his head out of interest as he looked at Inari, only to see multiple tears streaming down the boy's face as he stood up and slammed his hands on the table with force, an angry look on his face.

"Why do you keep pushing yourself to the point of ending up like that? All this training is just a worthless waste of time! Gato has an entire army, they'll beat you down and kill you!" Inari bellowed at the top of his lungs, ignoring the looks of awe the others were giving him, "Why can't you see it?! The strong always win and the weak always lose!"

Everyone could hear Inari's voice beginning to break, his tone starting to crack as he gave into his emotional depression.

Naruto shrugged it off as he closed his eyes and replied, "Speak for yourself! With me here, something like that won't happen with me around."

"Shut up!" Inari bawled his eyes out, closing his eyes tightly as he remembered Kaiza getting executed in front of his eyes, "It makes me sick, how you go through life just laughing everything off without a care in the world! You don't know anything about this country, you're just being nosy! You don't know one bit about how it feels like to suffer and to be treated like a worm!"

Naruto's body movement stiffened as he dipped his head further down towards the darkness of his arms. Hinata let out a quiet gasp as she knew that Inari was starting to push Naruto's buttons, she glanced at Sasuke to see him giving Inari a look of anger and disgust, Atsushi remained silent but glaring at the boy with fury.

"Just look at you, crying and whining as if you're some sorry little helpless victim!" Naruto growled as he sent a feral gaze of daggers straight into Inari's eyes, causing him to freeze up on the spot, "For all I care... a spineless crybaby like you can just keep on crying!"

Inari immediately looked at Naruto out of shock before breaking down in the spot, not being able to handle how vicious Naruto was being towards him.

Tsunami quickly ran over to Inari in an attempt to comfort him, only for her son to shove her arm away and run out of the house.

Naruto pushed himself out of the chair, declaring that he had lost his appetite before leaving the dinner table for where he was sleeping in the house.

Atsushi stood up out of his chair preparing to go after Inari, but Kakashi stopped him.

"I will go after Inari." The Jonin said.

[+]

|Outside Tazuna's house|

Inari heard footsteps on the hard wooden floor; someone came after him, probably his mother.

To his surprise, it wasn't Tsunami, or even Tazuna, it was Kakashi, no doubt here to scold him for lashing out at Naruto.

"May I join you."

That statement was not a question.

"Just save it, I know you're here to tell me to take back what I said, well I'm not! I was only telling you the truth!" Inari exclaimed loudly, hoping that with putting force into his voice that Kakashi would just leave.

Kakashi didn't answer as Inari heard the sound of footsteps coming closer to him. Inari glanced at the man as he took a seat next to him.

"Tazuna-san told us what happened to your father…" Kakashi started.

Inari narrowed his eyes out of anger, Naruto knew?! He knew, and he had the audacity to say what he said?!

"Naruto also grew up without a father for all of his life. In fact, he didn't even know what the love of having a parent felt like." Kakashi continued, revealing that Naruto grew up without both of his parents or a parent like figure. "And he didn't have a single friend back in village, and the villagers themselves resented him."

Inari's ears perked up out of interest. So... Naruto was all alone? Is that was Kakashi was saying?

"He was all alone? But what about you, the pale-eyed girl, the green haired guy and the other guy?" Inari asked.

"I didn't make much contact with Naruto when he was younger. Naruto had met Atsushi, Hinata and Sasuke in the Academy. Due to... reasons that I can't state, Sasuke had become antisocial, and he deemed the others in his class as weak and not worth his time."

Kakashi paused to let that sink in.

"On the other hand, Hinata was one of the few who actually wanted to befriend Naruto. However, problems with her clan made Hinata to lose confidence in herself. No matter how much she wanted to, she could never bring herself to confront Naruto."

"Atsushi happened to be the only one who actually succeeded in becoming Naruto's friend. He sees Naruto and the others as his siblings since he couldn't have any due to his parents' demise. He acts as the elder brother to each one of them, offering assistance in times of need, always listening to their problems and coming up with solutions for them."

Inari was surprised at this, as when he overheard some of the team's conversations, they seemed happy.

"Despite all of this, Naruto never grow timid nor give up or cry. He's desperate to make people acknowledge him, that's... his dream. And he would put his life on the life to fulfill that dream. I think that Naruto just got tired of crying, and decided to do something about it." The more Kakashi said, the more InarI realized that he was wrong about Naruto.

He did suffer... A lot.

"That's why he knows the true meaning of being strong, like your father. Naruto is probably the one who can understand your pain the best."

"Those things that Naruto said to you earlier, while they seem harsh and outright cruel…"

Another long pause as Kakashi looked at Inari, giving him an eye smile.

"I'm sure he's told himself the same thing thousands of times." After that Kakashi left the boy to his thoughts.

[+]

**The Next Day**

|Wave Bridge|

"W-What is all of this?!" Tazuna exclaimed out of shock as he witnessed the multiple bodies of the workers on the ground.

Kakashi after the Inari-Naruto drama last night had formulated a plan which involved Naruto staying behind along with Areku to protect Tsunami and Inari in case Gato's goons attacked while the rest faced Zabuza.

Kakashi inspected the some of the victims, he felt their pulses. "They aren't dead just injured." He informed Tazuna before turning to one of his students, "Hinata!"

Hinata nodded, knowing what to do as she formed multiple hand signs, bringing her hands up to her face as she uttered one word, "Byakugan!"

Veins bulged around her eyes as she began to scan the area around the bridge, eventually looking down into the ground, using the Byakugan to see through it.

She gasped out of fear as she cried out, "I see seven chakra signatures close by, five are lurking under the bridge! Six of them are the same person while the other one is different!"

'Water Clones, and the other person should be the hunter-nin.' Kakashi thought to himself.

"You three, get ready! Protect Tazuna-san!" Kakashi commanded, prompting Hinata, Atsushi and Sasuke to take a defensive stance around Tazuna, forming a triangle defense with him in the middle.

A sudden thick mist rolled into the area, the same Jutsu from last time.

"Sorry for the wait... Kakashi."

The chilling voice of Zabuza sent shivers down Genin's spines, Hinata found herself trembling in her place once again, the arm holding her kunai shaking dangerously.

Sasuke's hand was also trembling as he kept a focused look on his face, holding any sort of emotions back.

"He's shaking again." Zabuza noted, despite not being there, right in front of them, Zabuza could sense Sasuke's movement and fear. Sasuke's trembling stopped as he soon realized that 5 Zabuzas had surrounded them.

Sasuke smirked, much to the surprise of the Zabuza clones in front of him. "I'm shaking with excitement."

"Finally round two!" Atsushi declared grabbing a kunai from his pouch.

Kakashi have a confident eye smile, "Go for it, Hinata, Atsushi and Sasuke!"

All Zabuza's thrust their swords toward the group, the three reacted quickly, with Hinata jumping over the blade and puncturing her kunai into Zabuza's chest, her hands were immediately met by dripping water as the clone dissolved into water. Hinata pivoted her foot so she was facing the Zabuza clone attacking Tazuna, who was frozen in place unable to move.

With great speed she jumped into the air and struck the clone with a palm strike, the Zabuza dissolved into water immediately.

Sasuke simply rushed the first one, sidestepping his blade and slashing him across the stomach, he emplaned his foot onto the ground, jumping off of it and towards another Zabuza.

The Zabuza he was coming towards gripped his sword tightly, attempting to slash Sasuke with a left swing, only for the Uchiha to spring himself into the air, tossing his kunai for the clone's forehead. The kunai struck home, the clone dissolving back to water.

Atsushi ducked as the clone swung it's blade before attempting a leg sweep which the Zabuza jumped over while bringing its executioner blade down on the Kishida's skull. Atsushi rolled out of way as the clone implanted it's blade into the ground giving the greenette the opportunity to stab it in the back literally.

"Kakashi-sensei, two more clones!" Hinata pointed to the sky, where two more Zabuza clones were coming down on the group in an attempt of a sneak attack.

Kakashi merely pulled out some shuriken and hurled them at the clones, stabbing and destroying them.

"Those kids got stronger, particularly the Uchiha." The voice of Zabuza was heard further down the bridge, the demon of the Mist standing there with his companion posing as a hunter-nin, "It seems a rival has appeared for you, Haku."

"So that's the kid who saved you, Zabuza." Kakashi stated, referring to Haku.

"I'll fight him." Sasuke opted immediately.

"Sasuke-kun!" Hinata exclaimed out of surprise.

"Sasuke! You can't fight him all by yourself." Atsushi warned.

"I have to get him back for that little act he pulled on us. I hate conceited guys like that." Sasuke explained bluntly.

"I-I don't think that's a good idea…" Hinata whispered, Atsushi agreed with her but it seemed that the Uchiha didn't care about what they said, he was hell bent on fighting the guy identified as Haku.

"Alright Haku, take care of the emo brat." Zabuza commanded, with said person responding with 'Yes sir' as he made his move.

The boy began to move towards Sasuke, but he was moving so fast that he looked like a blur spinning in circles.

"What?!" Sasuke gaped out of shock, taking out another kunai in his pouch, gripping it tightly. He focused, trying to keep up with Haku's speed as he ran forward, holding up his kunai, ready to strike.

**CLANG!**

The sound of kunai meeting with senbon rang throughout the air as the standing figures of Haku and Sasuke were seen glaring at each other, albeit Haku's eyes couldn't be seen due to his mask.

'Interesting, he is able to catch up to Haku's speed but not for long.' Zabuza noted as he glared at Kakashi, who glared back with his visible eye.

"Hinata, Atsushi stay close to Tazuna-san and stand guard! Don't get too far from him! Without Naruto, we have one less person to help guard, so you cannot make a mistake! Let Sasuke deal with this guy!" Kakashi informed them.

"What if Sasuke requires some help?" Atsushi asked.

"You wouldn't be able to help because you will be dealing with them." Zabuza answered pointing to the mist beside them.

"Atsushi-san, I'm detecting 4 chakra signatures in the mist." Hinata informed.

"Look like Sasuke will have to wait." The greenette responded before stepping into a taijutsu stance. Hinata sadly agreed before following suit.

The mist cleared revealing four more Zabuzas who charged immediately towards the Genin as Hinata gulped, 'Please hurry Naruto-kun.'

[+]

|Tazuna's home|

Inari was washing his hands in the bathroom when there was a loud crash and his mother screamed.

He ran out of the bathroom to find two men looming over his mother in the kitchen. His mother was backed up against the counter and trembling as she stared at the men with their swords.

"Mama!" He yelled in worry.

The two men turned to him at the same time, the one on the left spoke "What do you want brat?"

"Run Inari! Don't come in!" Tsunami yelled frantically.

"Should we grab him too?" The left one asked.

"We only need on hostage." The right one said.

Inari flinched behind the doorway. Hostage? They were going to take his mom?

The eye-patched man drew his sword slowly, "Heh heh too bad… For him!"

"Wait!" Tsunami shouted. "If you dare touch my child I'll bite through my tongue and drown in my own blood. Then what will you do for a live hostage?"

Tears slowly dripped down Inari's face.

The right man laughed, "Be grateful to your mom kiddo."

"Aw, man… but I'm dying to cut someone!" The left man said.

"Relax. You gave your blade a pretty good workout before we even got here. So get over it and let's go." His partner said to him.

Inari sobbed behind the door frame as the two men tied his mother's hands together and dragged her away.

He cursed himself for being so weak. He was afraid! He didn't want to die! Inari cried furiously as he bemoaned his weakness. Then suddenly Naruto's voice came to him again, "Just look at you, crying and whining as if you're some sorry little helpless victim!" He looked at his hands. Inari thought about what his father had told him before, 'if something is precious to you. Protect it with all your strength! Even at the cost of your own life!'

'Everyone else is so awesome. So cool and strong… Can I? Could I be strong too like Daddy?' Inari thought. He wiped his eyes and stood.

The eyepatched man leered over Tsunami's shoulder as they walked. "Heh heh…. Such beautiful skin. So smooth and lovely. It's a shame not to be able to cut it."

"Stop dawdling!" His partner snapped.

Just as they were about to leave the premises of the house a voice rang out.

"WAIT!" Inari shouted. "Y-you get away from my mama!"

The boy charged the two men with a roar as they laughed.

"This kid is a waste of space!"

"Just cut him!"

"Yeah!"

They slashed at Inari with their swords as Tsunami screamed and closed her eyes.

The men's eyes widened as their swords chopped into a log instead of a small boy.

"Kawarimi (Substitution)?!" They shouted in confusion.

A voice rang out behind them, "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

Inari opened his eyes and looked up at a smiling blonde.

"Good job distracting them so I could save your mother Inari!" Naruto chirped.

"N-naruto!" Inari exclaimed.

"Hey isn't that one of Tazuna's body guards?" the man with the eye-patch said.

"Yeah." the other one said.

"Let's get em!"

They wildly charged at Naruto, hands on the hilts of their swords. What they didn't expect is for Naruto to disappear in a puff of smoke revealing another log.

"Huh?! Where did he go-" Was all eye-patch could say before he and his partner fell down unconscious. Inari just gaped at Naruto who had simply chopped both men on the back of their necks and they went out like lights.

After securing the thugs, Naruto took a deep breath and, "Inari I'm sorry for calling you a helpless victim yesterday, it wasn't my place." He apologized.

"It's OK Naruto-san and I shouldn't have also said what I said yesterday." Inari also apologized.

"So we are cool then?" the blonde asked, offering a hand which Inari shook.

"We are." The boy replied with a smile. Before Naruto could return the smile he realized something.

"They are going to attack the bridge which means Kakashi-sensei and the others will need my help!" Naruto immediately sprinted out of the house towards the bridge, he could hear the cries of pain originating from the surrounding forest as Areku and his shadows clones inflicted pain upon the thugs. Yea the green Jonin had things under control.

[+]

|Bridge Battle|

Sasuke and Haku parted away from each other, taking a step back as they both spun in place, preparing to strike each other with their respective weapon, once again freezing in place due to a struggle with their weapons clashing against each other.

"I don't want to kill you, but you won't back off no matter what I say, right?" The shake of Sasuke's head along with his grin all but confirmed the answer, "As I thought... but you won't be able to keep up with my next move. I have the upper hand here!"

Haku held up his free hand and brought it up to his face, making a sign, much to Sasuke's shock.

'He's forming a hand sign using only one hand!' Sasuke widened his eyes as he realized that he could only block or take whatever Haku was going to dish out.

"Secret Jutsu: A Thousand Needles of Death!"On Haku's exclamation, the water left by the Zabuza clones rose from the ground, before separating into 1000 bits, changing into a solid needle, all directed toward Sasuke.

Sasuke formed a hand sign as he began to pump chakra to his feet while the needles rushed towards him, preparing to strike in 1000 places in order to kill him.

"Sasuke-san!" Hinata called out of concern as the needles seemed to have hit Sasuke, a blue cloud forming as a result, however, her concern turned to relief when she saw him leap at the last moment with her Byakugan, appearing to shoot right out of the cloud high in the sky, using his Chakra to propel himself in the air before transferring chakra to his feet to cushion his landing.

"Hinata above!" The Hyuga leapt out of the way of a blade which impacted the position she was seconds ago.

"Thanks Atsushi-san." Hinata said as she struck the clone.

"You're welcome, now focus." Atsushi ordered as he impaled a clone in the thigh.

Haku skid to a halt, directed his gaze upwards as he saw Sasuke chucking shuriken at him, causing the fake hunter-nin to continuously leap backwards in order to avoid getting hit.

While Haku was distracted with dodging, Sasuke had appeared right behind him, commenting how slow he was as Haku quickly reacted, stepping away from Sasuke as both attempted to hit each other with the sides of their arms, only for them to collide and hold each other in place.

Sasuke smirked as he took the kunai in his free head and flicked it towards Haku's head with a twist of his fingers, Haku let out a sound of surprise as he crouched down to the ground, avoiding the kunai to the head.

However, Haku couldn't dodge forever, and right after he ducked down, his face was met with a powerful kick from Sasuke, sending the ninja flying back towards Zabuza.

"Haku was beaten in speed?" Zabuza widened his eyes, genuinely surprised for once by Sasuke's actions.

"You can't make fun of our team just because we have children." Kakashi retorted as he continued, "Sasuke Uchiha is the rookie of his class! Hinata Hyuga is the village's little princess who packs a punch!"

Hinata blushed slightly at the compliment despite the situation.

"Atsushi is the glue which binds the team together and the last one likes to show off and he's number one when it comes to surprising people. He's the #1 hyperactive knucklehead ninja, Naruto Uzumaki!" Kakashi spoke with a hint of pride in his voice.

"Haku, do you understand that you're going to get defeated if you keep fighting like that?" Zabuza asked his companion, who rose back to his feet.

"Yes." Haku answered as a purple fire like substance began to radiate off of Haku.

"Wh-What is that?!" Atsushi wondered out loud.

"That's... cold air…" Sasuke identified, still confused on what Haku was doing as said boy made a hand sign.

"Sasuke-san behind you!" Came Hinata's voice, prompting the Uchiha to look behind him to see ice forming behind him, surrounding both him and Haku in multiple mirrors made of ice.

"Secret Jutsu: Demonic Ice Mirrors!"Haku recited the name of the technique as he proceeded to step into one of the mirror that formed, shocking everyone present, except Zabuza of course.

Sasuke widened his eyes as he witnessed Haku's entire body appear on each and every mirror.

"Damn it!" Kakashi cursed as he ran towards the mirror prison Sasuke was trapped in, only for Zabuza to appear right in front, cutting him off from the prison.

"I'm your opponent, remember? He's a goner now that Haku has unleashed that technique." Zabuza retorted with a cocky smile under his mask.

"Let's begin," Haku said as Sasuke scanned each and every mirror, "I will show you my true speed." Haku held multiple senbon in between his fingers as multiple senbon were thrown from the entire mirrors at great speed.

"Fire Style: Flamethrower Jutsu!"

A stream of red hot fire shot out of the Uchiha's mouth and collided with the ice mirror. Unfortunately the Ice mirror didn't melt under that intense heat, it was still stood solid.

"My Ice is immune to all forms of heat so your fire jutsu has no effect on it." Haku revealed before continuing his as assault.

Sasuke yelled out in pain as the multiple senbon nicked at his skin and clothes, causing blood to spill out and his clothes getting ripped.

"Sasuke/ Sasuke-san!" Kakashi, Atsushi and Hinata exclaimed in unison. Kakashi directed his attention to Zabuza, he had to finish this quickly and get to Sasuke.

As Sasuke continued to get assaulted by the senbon, he gave it his very all to keep the kunai in his hand gripped, trying to fight through the pain, spotting a chance Sasuke threw his kunai at a mirror in front of him.

Fortunately, the assault of the senbon halted. However, what surprised Sasuke was that Haku had popped out of the mirror and grabbed the kunai.

Haku turned the kunai around so that the sharp point was aimed at Sasuke, and he was about to throw it at the Uchiha, who was still feeling the pain of the senbon.

However, the next thing they knew, Haku was hit in the face by a single shuriken, causing a crack to form in his mask as the shuriken had come from the outside of the mirror prison. He fell out of the mirror and dropped to the ground, immediately getting up to his knees to guard himself.

Outside the prison, a proof of smoke appeared as the silhouette of a certain blonde appeared.

"Naruto Uzumaki has arrived!" Naruto shouted.

'That idiot show off' Sasuke thought as he picked himself off the ground. He was covered in scratches and cuts from the needles, but nothing was fatal, yet.

"Now that I'm here, the hero usually shows up like this and kicks the enemy's ass instantly!" Naruto exclaimed prompting his green haired teammate to face palm.

'That idiot' Kakashi said to himself. Zabuza got a little laugh at Kakashi's facial expression. 'What kind of ninja does he think he is, barging in like that?'

Naruto threw a few shuriken at the distracted Zabuza, only to have them knocked away by Haku's needles.

"Hmm, so you don't want me attacking them? You're soft as always, Haku" Zabuza said to his comrade. Sasuke realized the situation he was in. Apparently, Haku had been holding back. None of those hits were vital, only mere scratches so far. However, after the way he 'killed' Zabuza back by the lake, Sasuke realized that this ninja had deadly accuracy with senbon and he had been holding back. Now that Naruto had arrived though, perhaps Sasuke could get out of this. With the dobe working on the outside and himself on the inside, perhaps they could take down Haku. Sadly, he would have to swallow his pride for this and allow Naruto to help him assuming Naruto hadn't done what he just did.

"Sasuke, I came in here to save you" Naruto said, now inside the ice dome. Sasuke was about ready to beat the knucklehead senseless but couldn't as Haku resumed his assault.

Naruto made a bunch of clones to attack the mirrors, hoping that one of them would be able to get Haku, however Haku was too fast and the clones were easily defeated. Noticing that Naruto and Sasuke needed some help, Kakashi revealed his Sharingan, ready to fight Zabuza and end the battle quick

"The Sharingan. Only one trick, Kakashi? You should know better than to show your moves to an opponent more than once." Zabuza said. The two jonin engaged one another, both piercing the other's hands with kunai.

"You should be honored. You're the first opponent to see my Sharingan twice" Kakashi called out as the two disengaged.

"I've been waiting to say this line. You can't use the same jutsu on me twice" Zabuza called out as he made a hand seal. Suddenly, the area around them was covered in a thick mist and Zabuza disappeared.

Back in the ice dome, "Damn it. I can't fail here. I have a dream I need to fulfill" Naruto said out loud. Haku then experienced a flashback upon hearing Naruto's words.

[+]

[Flashback]

'Dream?!' He remembered himself as a lonely child. His home in the Land of Water had just been destroyed after the Mizukage's persecution of people with bloodlines. Soon he saw Zabuza standing before him. "An unfortunate child" Zabuza said. "A brat like you is wanted by no one. You will die with neither freedom nor dreams."

"Hehe, you have the same eyes as me" Haku said to Zabuza, striking some sort of emotion in the Demon.

[+]

[Flashback Ends]

"Dream. Becoming a true shinobi is difficult for me. If possible, I do not want to kill you, nor have you kill me. But if you come at me, I can destroy my kind heart and come at you as a true shinobi" Haku said to Naruto and Sasuke. "This bridge is the place we fight to connect our dreams. Please don't hate me. I want to protect someone precious to me, fight for them, and make that person's dreams come true. That is my dream. For that, I can become a shinobi and kill you if I must."

[+]

Zabuza laughed at what Haku was saying. He knew that Naruto and Sasuke had not killed anyone yet and that they did not know what it was like to truly become a shinobi. Kakashi heard this, but couldn't see anything. The mist was too thick, even for his Sharingan. But he figured that Zabuza couldn't see either. Suddenly, about a dozen shuriken came flying at his and Kakashi just barely managed to block them.

"Impressive that you were able to block them, Sharingan Kakashi." Zabuza said, appearing behind him. Kakashi turned around to see that Zabuza's eyes were closed. He disappeared back into the mist.

"Kakashi, you have overestimated the use of your Sharingan. You acted as if you could read my mind and see the future, but that Sharingan is merely a trick. Basically, it involves hypnotism and attention to detail. By using those two abilities together, you can make it seem like you are seeing into the future. The answer to combating it is simple. First, I use the mist to make that keen eye of yours useless. Second, I keep my eyes closed to prevent you from influencing me. However, I am an expert in silent killing. I can kill you just by hearing you." Kakashi was worried by this realization.

Zabuza moved to Tazuna and attacked, hoping to take out the bridge builder and Hinata. As Zabuza swung the blade, it was stopped by the steel plate on Kakashi's gloves. Zabuza growled at kicked Kakashi in the gut before swinging his blade again.

Kakashi had just enough time to throw himself backwards to dodge most of the attack; however, the blade still sliced across his chest, creating a rather large gash. He slipped back into the mist again, ready to strike another blow. Now, Kakashi had once been in charge of the ANBU and the Sharingan wasn't his only trick. He made a few hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Kakashi said, summoning eight ninja dogs to his side. He ordered them to find and immobilize Zabuza, which they did without trouble, using the scent of Kakashi's blood on Zabuza's blade to track him.

[+]

Atsushi after dispersing Zabuza clones ordered Hinata to watch over Tazuna while he planted explosive tags all over the Ice dome. Once done he jumped a good 20ft away from the dome then made the hand seal for 'explode' before numerous explosions came to life.

[+]

|Inside the Ice dome|

Haku grabbed some senbon and prepared to launch them at Naruto but lost his bearings as some explosions rocked the dome custody of Atsushi disorienting everything within it, causing the ice user to misfire.

The needles hit Sasuke in the chest and what appeared to be the liver. Naruto saw Sasuke fall to his knees, just as a single needle that Sasuke had failed to take hit Naruto in the neck, in roughly the same spot where Zabuza was hit when he was 'killed' a week ago. The Uzumaki slipped into darkness.

[+]

**A/N: **Thanks for all the reactions at the previous chapter, I really appreciate them.

Hope you enjoyed it. Up next part 2.

Please Review and follow.

24/9/20: Minor changes.

Total number of words: 5637 words

Jamesco1292002


	7. Chapter 7

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast Talking"**

'**Tailed Beast Thinking'**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**A/N: **Pairings are the same as cannon, so don't expect any changes there. Atsushi's own pairing will soon be revealed. So exercise some patience dudes.

[+]

**Chapter 7: Team Seven Vs Ice Demons pt 2**

[+]

*Previously on Team Seven Vs Ice Demon pt 1*

[Flashback]

'Dream?! He remembered himself as a lonely child. His home in the Land of Water had just been destroyed after the Mizukage's persecution of people with bloodlines. Soon he saw Zabuza standing before him. "An unfortunate child" Zabuza said. "A brat like you is wanted by no one. You will die with neither freedom nor dreams."

"Hehe, you have the same eyes as me" Haku said to Zabuza, striking some sort of emotion in the Demon.

[+]

[Flashback Ends]

"Dream. Becoming a true shinobi is difficult for me. If possible, I do not want to kill you, nor have you kill me. But if you come at me, I can destroy my kind heart and come at you as a true shinobi" Haku said to Naruto and Sasuke. "This bridge is the place we fight to connect our dreams. Please don't hate me. I want to protect someone precious to me, fight for them, and make that person's dreams come true. That is my dream. For that, I can become a shinobi and kill you if I must."

[+]

Zabuza laughed at what Haku was saying. He knew that Naruto and Sasuke had not killed anyone yet and that they did not know what it was like to truly become a shinobi. Kakashi heard this, but couldn't see anything. The mist was too thick, even for his Sharingan. But he figured that Zabuza couldn't see either. Suddenly, about a dozen shuriken came flying at his and Kakashi just barely managed to block them.

"Impressive that you were able to block them, Sharingan Kakashi." Zabuza said, appearing behind him. Kakashi turned around to see that Zabuza's eyes were closed. He disappeared back into the mist.

"Kakashi, you have overestimated the use of your Sharingan. You acted as if you could read my mind and see the future, but that Sharingan is merely a trick. Basically, it involves hypnotism and attention to detail. By using those two abilities together, you can make it seem like you are seeing into the future. The answer to combating it is simple. First, I use the mist to make that keen eye of yours useless. Second, I keep my eyes closed to prevent you from influencing me. However, I am an expert in silent killing. I can kill you just by hearing you." Kakashi was worried by this realization.

Zabuza moved to Tazuna and attacked, hoping to take out the bridge builder and Hinata. As Zabuza swung the blade, it was stopped by the steel plate on Kakashi's gloves. Zabuza growled at kicked Kakashi in the gut before swinging his blade again.

Kakashi had just enough time to throw himself backwards to dodge most of the attack; however, the blade still sliced across his chest, creating a rather large gash. He slipped back into the mist again, ready to strike another blow. Now, Kakashi had once been in charge of the ANBU and the Sharingan wasn't his only trick. He made a few hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Kakashi said, summoning eight ninja dogs to his side. He ordered them to find and immobilize Zabuza, which they did without trouble, using the scent of Kakashi's blood on Zabuza's blade to track him.

[+]

Atsushi after dispersing Zabuza clones ordered Hinata to watch over Tazuna while he planted explosive tags all over the Ice dome. Once done he jumped a good 20ft away from the dome then made the hand seal for 'explode' before numerous explosions came to life.

[+]

|Inside the Ice dome|

Haku grabbed some senbon and prepared to launch them at Naruto but lost his bearings as some explosions rocked the dome custody of Atsushi disorienting everything within it, causing the ice user to misfire.

The needles hit Sasuke in the chest and what appeared to be the liver. Naruto saw Sasuke fall to his knees, just as a single needle that Sasuke had failed to take hit Naruto in the neck, in roughly the same spot where Zabuza was hit when he was 'killed' a week ago. The Uzumaki slipped into darkness.

[+]

*Part 2 starts from here*

|?|

Naruto awoke again, this time finding himself in a damp sewer, unsure of exactly where he was. He heard growling coming from one direction and his curiosity got the best of him. He turned to find the source of the noise. Soon, he found himself standing in for a large gate.

"**It's about time the two of us met." **A strange andan inhuman voice said from behind the bars.

"W-who's there?" asked a startled Naruto.

"**I been trapped within you for thirteen years and you still don't know who I am?"**

The voice sounded demonic and it sent Naruto falling back onto his butt.

"**Why don't you take a closer look and see." **The voice said. A faint light filled the room and Naruto could see what was behind the bars.

"Y-you're t-the K-k-kyubi no K-kitsune." Naruto stuttered in fear.

"**Yes, and since you're here, that must mean you're in some sort of trouble."** The Kyubi said to Naruto.

"What d-do you m-mean?" Naruto said, still trembling in fear. "A-are you going to k-kill me?"

"**No. Even if I wanted to, the seal on you that keeps me imprisoned in you would prevent me from doing such plus human meat contains way too much fat!"** The gigantic fox chuckled as Naruto trembled even more. **"If I remember correctly, you were in a battle with a masked man."** The fox did his best to conjure an image of what was happening. The thing that shocked Naruto was the image of Sasuke taking the hits for him, saving him, but getting injured in the process. Naruto saw that Sasuke was falling to the ground and feared that Haku had actually managed to kill Sasuke. **"I can sense that your friend is still alive, but he may not be for long if you just sit there and do nothing like a blundering idiot. I will give you a little bit of my power for now, but there is something I want to discuss with you later now Go!"**

With that last bark of the Kyubi, Naruto was forced out of his mindscape. Finding himself in the real world, facing Haku and a dying Sasuke, Naruto instantly felt a surge of power course through his chakra network. The needles that were stuck in him were forced out and any wounds instantly began to heal. Haku looked on in shock as a red aura began to surround Naruto. Naruto caught Sasuke as he was falling to the ground. Afraid that his teammate was dead, Naruto released a blood-chilling growl before going into rage mode, launching himself towards Haku's image in the mirror.

[+]

|With the Battle|

Outside the dome, Atsushi was muttered curses as he stared at the still standing dome. All of a sudden he froze up at the enormous amount of killing intent radiating from within the dome, which was followed by an inhuman growl. 'What is going on in there?' The Kishida wondered.

Hinata also felt the killing intent radiating from the dome and took a look, she noticed an orange chakra with her Byakugan, and how it had basically devoured Naruto's blue chakra. 'What is that orange chakra?' She wondered with a worried look on her face.

[+]

With a strike of his fist which was condensed with Kyubi chakra, Naruto punched Haku in the mirror and sent him flying backwards. The mirror he was in shattered and the dome collapsed with it. Haku managed to barely regain himself, remaining on his feet, but no longer inside any mirror to protect him from the next assault. Unfortunately for him, this next assault, he would not be able to dodge. His mask was cracked and his head was ringing, most likely suffering from some sort of concussion.

Naruto's next attack came swift, a strong punch to the chest that send Haku skidding to the ground. As Naruto lashed out at Haku with his fist, the mask crumbled off, revealing the same boy he had met in the forest only a few days ago.

[+]

[Flashback]

Naruto was asleep in the clearing, having worked off his rage by throwing himself into his training. Currently, he was surrounded by trees that were either burned, slashed, impaled, or smashed.

Haku had entered the clearing with a basket while searching for some herbs to help head Zabuza. The fake Hunter found Naruto and knelt down next to him, contemplating whether or not to kill him now. Haku sighed before deciding to shake Naruto awake.

'I'm too soft,' Haku thought, watching as Naruto opened his eyes.

"Ugh..." Naruto mumbled as he rubbed his eyes. He opened them to see a pretty lady standing over him

Naruto jumped to his feet and began to introduce himself with a blush, "Hello there, my name's Naruto Uzumaki!" 'She's almost as pretty as Hinata-chan! Wait... where did that come from?'

"Nice to meet Naruto, my name is Haku. So what were you doing out here?" Haku asked.

"Nothing much, just training," Naruto answered.

"Are you a ninja?" Haku asked, setting down the basket.

Naruto grinned and said, "Yeah, I'm aiming to be one of the best there is."

"Oh? But aren't you strong already?" Haku asked, wanting to see Naruto's goals.

Then Jinchuriki shook his head and told Haku, "I need to be stronger, so that way I'll be able to help everyone who I care about."

"So you fight to protect your precious people, then that does make you strong," Haku told him. Naruto gave a confused look so Haku continued, "I believe that people can be truly strong when they are protecting a person who is precious to them."

"So do you have any precious people?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, my... father is the only person left in my life," Haku said.

"Must be nice to have him," Naruto muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Haku asked.

"I'm just wondering how nice it might feel to have parents," Naruto said.

Haku raised an eyebrow and asked, "Don't you have parents?"

"No," Naruto shook his head, "I grew up as an orphan, nobody knows who they were, but I try not to think about since it doesn't matter anymore."

"I'm... sorry, I can't even imagine what it might feel like to not know who your parents were," Haku said.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter," Naruto said.

"Well… do you have any friends?" Haku asked changing the subject.

"My teammates are." Naruto answered before releasing a chuckle, "Even though one of them has a stick struck up his ass and refuses to accept it."

Haku also chuckled a bit, "Anyway, it was nice speaking with you, but I should get back to my father in case he starts to worry," Haku said, standing up and grabbing the basket. Haku stopped before the edge of the forest and said, "By the way, I'm a boy."

Naruto stared there with his mouth on the floor. 'It's impossible for a guy to be almost as pretty as Hinata-chan! Gah! There it is again!'

[+]

[Flashback Ends]

Naruto's attackimmediately stopped there. He grabbed Haku by the collar of his robe.

"Why!?" Naruto demanded. "Why did you kill him? Why are you doing Gato's dirty work? Why?!"

"Because I am simply a tool to be used by someone else to accomplish their goal" said Haku, breathing deeply. Naruto was disgusted at the words that came out of Haku's mouth, yet he couldn't bring himself to blame the 'tool' for turning out like that.

Naruto could see some familiarity in Haku's eyes. He could see loneliness in those eyes. He determined there that Haku must have lived alone until someone came to him with an offer. Hell, Naruto had almost fallen to the tricks that had manipulated Haku when Mizuki asked him to steal the Forbidden Scroll.

"Don't talk about that crap anymore! You don't have to do anything you don't want to! You're a person, not a tool, don't give me that crap!" shouted Naruto, flaring a little bit more of the demonic chakra already in his system.

"Perhaps but it seems like my usefulness is over." said Haku as he pointed into the mist, towards the end of the bridge. Naruto looked over in the direction Haku was pointing. For some reason, he could sense that something was there, something with the intent to kill. Naruto reared his fist ready to deliver a punch to Haku, enough to knock him unconscious but was beaten to it by Atsushi who fired a Rakurai straight at the Ice user's face. Haku was launched 4ft back, collapsing to the ground unconscious from the attack. Naruto gave the Kishida a look which clearly said 'He was mine'.

"What? You seriously think I will let you have all the fun?" Atsushi replied to the look Naruto gave him. The blonde then pointed at the destroyed ice dome which confused Atsushi for a while before he immediately realized that he had forgotten about a certain someone.

"Sasuke!" shouted the greenette as he ran to where Sasuke was lying on the ground. There was a faint pulse and he began carefully removing the senbon from the Uchiha pincushion. Hinata and Tazuna were immediately by his sides, the former applying some of her medicinal balm over his injuries.

Seeing that Sasuke was in good hands Naruto stormed off towards the source of killing intent.

[+]

**Some minutes back**

Kakashi was facing Zabuza, who was now left immobilized by Kakashi's dogs. Suddenly, he felt a burst of demonic chakra coming from the direction of Naruto. Both he and Zabuza felt it and Kakashi knew what it was. He was afraid that the Kyubi had broken through the seal. However, the cyclops realized that the seal had not broken because only some of the chakra had managed to leak out. He knew he had to end it.

"I have copied 1000 jutsu Zabuza, but now you will see my one original jutsu" Kakashi said, making a few hand seals. Suddenly, a mass of lightning appeared in Kakashi's hand morphing into a blade**. **"Raikiri! (Lightning Blade!)" Kakashi said as he dashed towards Zabuza, intending to kill him with his lightning blade.

Zabuza visually panicked as Kakashi sped towards him, his right hand covered with what appeared to be a blade of lightning.

Kakashi thrust his hand towards Zabuza, but was intercepted by the most unexpected turn of events. Some man had come flying out of nowhere, crashing into Kakashi's charged hand, taking the Raikiri to his gut.

Zabuza looked over at his stroke of just pure dumb luck and realized that man was one of Gato's thugs.

"Kakashi, release me so I can dispel the mist and we can get a better look at what is going on." Zabuza said. Of course, Kakashi didn't buy it.

"And why should I?" Kakashi asked. "The minute I do that, you're either going to resume your attack or try and kill Tazuna."

"That man is one of Gato's. Haku and I suspected Gato would try to double cross us and we were planning on killing him after we were done here. If one of his men is here, then that only means that there is more of him here. I just need my arms to get rid of the mist." Zabuza explained.

Kakashi thought about it. "Fine, but try anything and the next Raikiri will be going straight through your head." Kakashi threatened. He ordered the dogs restraining Zabuza's arms to let go and Zabuza did as he said he would, releasing the mist.

Once the mist cleared, Kakashi could see what was going on. There was a group of roughly 50-60 thugs on the far end of the bridge and Naruto beating up one who was unfortunate enough to get too far ahead.

Zabuza looked over at the battered Haku on the ground and his cold exterior began to melt. Now realizing that the rest of Gato's men could see him, Naruto retreated back to where the rest of the team was. He could feel the demonic chakra drain from him as he did so.

"So they are not dead yet, how disappointing" Gato called out, looking at the exhausted ninja standing in front of him.

"Why are you here?" Zabuza asked.

"It's simple. I actually planned to do this from the start. I'm here to kill you" Gato claimed. "It's what I do. I hire missing ninja to do my work. When they are done, I kill them so that I don't have to pay them. Nice plan don't you think? The only problem is you. Pfft, Zabuza the Demon of the Bloody Mist. You can't even live up to your name."

"Kakashi, this fight is over. I have no more reason to fight you or go after Tazuna." Zabuza said to Kakashi who nodded in understanding.

Gato walked over to Haku, who was lying unconscious on the ground just in front of the rest of the ninja and began beating on the unconscious body. "Yeah, take this you little punk. This is what you get for breaking my arm!" shouted Gato. He then pulled out a blade from his side. "This is what happens to a worthless tool of mine."

Naruto tried to rush to save Haku, only to be held back by Zabuza himself. "What are you doing?!" Naruto shouted. "Can't you see that he's going to kill Haku? Don't you even care just a little bit? He's done everything for you and you've done nothing but look at him as a tool! He's more than just that, you know."

"Stop kid." Zabuza said, tears rolling down his face. "I know what I need to do. Can I borrow a kunai?" Naruto nodded and handed Zabuza one of his knives. Zabuza instantly disappeared and reappeared behind Gato, driving the kunai into the back of Gato's skull.

"You sick disgusting man. Get away from him!" Zabuza said as Gato dropped to the ground, dead. He then picked up the battered Haku and retreated back to where Kakashi and Team 7 were.

"Hey! You killed our meal ticket!" The group of thugs said as they charged the ninja. "Kill them!"

Suddenly, arrows rained out of the still lingering mist, killing most of the bandits.

"If you come any further, the citizens of this island will kill you!" Inari shouted with all the villagers standing behind him.

"Inari!" Naruto called out.

"A hero shows up at the last second, right?" Inari said, returning a smile to Naruto. To give the thugs one last push to flee, Naruto made about three dozen clones while Kakashi did the same, although Kakashi's weren't all shadow clones. The thugs fled the island; the villagers had won their island back.

"Sasuke-san!" Hinata said out in relief as Sasuke opened his eyes.

"Uhg. Hinata, Atsushi what happened?" Sasuke asked weakly. "What about Naruto and that masked kid?" Atsushi pointed to them and Sasuke saw Zabuza supporting a weak Haku. "Why are they not fighting?"

"Gato broke his deal and they are no longer our enemies" Hinata said. Naruto turned around and realized that Sasuke was alright.

"Dobe! That hurts." Sasuke winced as Naruto enveloped him in a bone crushing hug.

"I thought you died teme!" said Naruto, slowly reducing his death grip.

"Looks like I missed the main event." Everyone turned in the direction of the voice and located Areku who had a bit of blood on his Jonin vest but other than that he looked fine.

After explaining what transpired on the bridge to the green Jonin, everyone returned to the village to recover. Haku regained conscious, but was groggy and Sasuke was still sore from being a human pincushion. As Kakashi said, they would be there for at least another week and a week's worth of rest was much needed.

[+]

**The following day**

Surprisingly enough Kakashi and Zabuza hit it off as pretty great friends. They were now joking around over how much work it was to train a brat from a small child to seasoned Shinobi and swapping teaching tips.

After learning that Zabuza is actually a member of the Mist's Revolutionary Forces who was only pretending to have gone rogue-nin because he was building up funds to help his organization plan another assassination attempt on the current Mizukage, Yagura who declared war on all bloodlines users in Kirigakure. Team 7 and Zabuza raided Gato's residence in search of any valuables or ownership documents. Naruto, Atsushi and Hinata were recruited for the operation with Sasuke and Haku being dropped due to their injuries. They were by given directions to their destination by some of the Wave citizens who knew where Gato lived but were too afraid to do anything in fear of being killed.

Using her Byakugan, Hinata pointed out that the building was currently uninhibited and filled with traps to keep unauthorized guests busy. She also revealed where the traps were to prevent any of them from being triggered accidentally especially by a certain blonde.

It appears that Gato was extremely careless with securing his valuables judging by how easy it was for Areku to find the ownership documents of various shipping companies and the codes for the high security vault lying bare on top of his bedroom desk.

Once the vault was unlocked and opened the entire group of ninjas gaped at gigantic sum of cash present, about 105 million ryo and it happened to be ripe for the plucking.

Zabuza and Haku were given 34 million ryo, Wave got 58 million which is double of what Gato took from the country, 10 million was set aside for the payment of the C turned A rank mission and lastly 3 million to Team 7 for the excellent job done.

The next week was quite eventful, as Wave's economy immediately recovered from its bedridden state due to the amount of funds that pumped in. Jobs, career opportunities were created and businesses flourished as the country regained its shipping and business rights. Hinata later questioned Naruto about the orange chakra which surrounded him during his fight against Haku, the Uzumaki replied with a white lie which the Hyuga heiress accepted. Tazuna was appointed Mayor by the Wave Daimyo for the risks he took while building the bridge. Zabuza and Haku were invited by Kakashi to help train Team 7 which both accepted. Haku made up for the injuries he inflicted on Sasuke by offering the Uchiha some tips on how to increase his speed and reaction time through the use of resistance seals. Zabuza taught Atsushi a couple of Water techniques, but not the Hidden in the Mist Jutsu due to large amount of chakra control required to perform such a technique. Naruto learnt some Wind and Water Jutsu from Haku who had affinity for both Water and Wind thanks to his Hyoton (Ice Style) bloodline. Hinata practiced her Gentle Fist against the Zabuza's clones, it took a lot of convincing before the Hyuga realized that she wouldn't actually be hurting the original Zabuza just his clones which Naruto and Atsushi took note of since they also used shadow clones. Areku challenged Zabuza to an all-out taijutsu battle which the later readily accepted, to the spectators the two opponents were like blurs as they couldn't keep with the speed they were using, even Sasuke had some difficult trying to watch them with his new awaken Sharingan.

The week soon came to an end and both parties had to return to their various destinations, Haku and Zabuza left before dawn saying something about catching the first tide, Team 7 left immediately after witnessing the naming of 'The Great Sevens Bridge', Tazuna had originally suggested naming the bridge after Naruto because his courage and spirit but the blonde declined stating that it was a group effort.

[+]

|Somewhere between Wave and Konoha|

Now Team was about 30 minutes away from Konoha, the trip was an unusually quiet one, so quiet that it seemed that Naruto wasn't even present. The reason why? Because the Uzumaki was busy thinking about his most recent conversation with the Kyubi.

[+]

[Flashback]

The following day, Naruto found a quiet place out in the forest to sit down; there was still something he had to do after yesterday. He began meditating, hoping to get into contact with the Kyubi inside him.

"**Well, it seems as if you still want to talk" **the Fox said.

"I figured I would at least hear you out. So what is it you want?" Naruto responded.

"**I want to make a deal with you, Kit."** The Fox said.

"What kind of deal?" Naruto asked.

"**One that will benefit us both."**

"… I'm listening."

"**I will help you and will even give you the ability to use my chakra, unopposed in certain situations. However… I expect something in return."**

Naruto knew this was too good to be true. _"_Okay… So what is it you want?" he asked.

"**Actually, its two things I want. I want my freedom from being sealed again after you die, and yes that day will come in time. I also want you to help me kill a certain cockroach."**

'Great he wants me to be like Sasuke-teme.' Naruto thought, "So who is the certain cockroach?"

The Kyubi growled a bit, letting out some of his killing intent. **"Madara Uchiha!"**

"Madara Uchiha? I've heard that name before… but where?" asked Naruto. The Kyubi explained to Naruto that he probably heard it during class as the battle between Harishima Senju, the Shodaime Hokage, and Madara Uchiha was one of the biggest pieces of Konoha history. Naruto nodded his head and told the Fox that was probably the one lecture that he had not slept through. "But wait… Uchiha? Does that mean Sasuke is-"

"**Yes, that little Uchiha brat on your team is most likely a descendant of Madara Uchiha, however, Madara abandoned his clan in search of power… me. He was bitter at the fact that his rival, the Shodaime Hokage, had received the position of Hokage instead of him, so he left the village. A few years later, he returned to destroy the village using my power. After that, I thought he was dead and I was finally done with that insolent bastard. However, I was wrong. Like I told you, he was the one who freed me from my jinchuriki vessel 13 years ago. Before I could even take a free breath, he had me under his control with his Sharingan." **

"Sharingan? You mean like Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke?" Naruto asked, interrupting the Fox's story.

The Fox growled at Naruto for interrupting him. **"Yes, like the eyes your teacher and that other brat you're with have. By the time his control ended and I had a free mind again, I was already being sealed into you by that other bastard the Yondaime Hokage!"**

"Hey! Don't insult the Yondaime like that!" Naruto almost yelled. However, there was something he wanted to know. "But, why me? Why did he seal you into me?"

"**All I can tell you is that with the seal that he used, I needed to be sealed inside a newborn infant with undeveloped chakra coils, otherwise I would destroy my host upon sealing. I guess you just happened to be the only newborn around."** The Kyubi laughed at Naruto's misfortune, but quickly resumed the remaining portion of his story. **"For the past 13 years, I have been trapped inside you. We haven't talked until now because you haven't been truly aware of my presence until just yesterday."**

"Ok, but if you want your freedom, then what's to stop you from destroying the village?" Naruto asked, now concerned with what the Fox was asking.

"**This…"** The Fox rolled a contract out in front of Naruto, revealing his agreement. **"This is a blood contract. Even to demons, this is binding. Basically, it states that I will lend you my chakra should you find yourself in a situation when it is required. With my help, you could become as strong as or even stronger than the Hokage. What I am trying to say is that I will help you along your journey to become Hokage. But, when you do, you will make sure that I am granted my freedom upon your death. I even promise to leave your village alone once I'm free so long as they don't try to imprison me. Furthermore, I will do whatever is within my power to ensure that you die of old age and not battle, although that will still be a possibility if you get too far in over your head."**

"Wait… what do you mean? How can you help me survive till I'm an old man?" Naruto asked.

"**Have you noticed that you heal extremely fast compared to most people?"** the Fox asked.

"Yea, Areku-san told me that you were responsible for that."

"**Yes I'm, now ****the seal allows for a small amount of my chakra to mix with yours, giving you that increased healing factor of yours and even that massive chakra reserve that you've developed."** Naruto had already been informed that he had a massive reserve of chakra after he proved that he was able to create thousands of shadow clones on the night of the Mizuki incident. **"However, this seal does pose a problem. Although it is weakening slowly, allowing me to safely flow some more chakra into your system, it was initially designed to keep the two of us separate. I can't just give you all of my power at the moment because that would break the seal, killing both of us. In fact, the most I can give you right now is just a little more than I gave you yesterday."**

"What?! But I thought you had a ton of chakra to give!" Naruto shouted.

"**I do. The amount of chakra that I possess is so large, that it is considered infinite by your human standards, but this seal prevents me from releasing it all at once. If I try to force more chakra through the seal than it can take at the time, then I run the risk of breaking it, effectively killing the two of us. The more chakra that flows through the seal, the more stress it puts on your body. I have noticed that the seal weakens over time, which will allow you to use even more of my chakra in the future. I also believe that there is a key that can safely open this seal, allowing us to merge our chakra completely and you will have full access to my powers and I will have the power to kill that bastard."**

Naruto thought about what the Kyubi had said, looking over the contract in front of him. The terms on the contract were exactly the same as what they had discussed. However, he saw a name on the contract that he didn't quite recognize. "Whose this 'Kurama' listed on the contract?" Naruto asked.

"**That would be me. Kurama is my true name. So what do you say Kit, do we have an agreement?"** Naruto took a few more moments to think about what they had discussed. Finally, he figured that everything was okay and signed his part of the contract as Kurama did the same.

[+]

[Flashback Ends]

Tired of the unbearable and uncomfortable silence Atsushi decided to do something about it.

"Hey Naruto." He called.

"Yes?"

"How about a race to Konoha? Loser pays for the winner's lunch."

Naruto immediately grinned at that, "Oh I'm in."

"And you two?" the Kishida turned to the other Genins present. He received a nod from Hinata and an 'Hn' from Sasuke. "Ok we race on the count of three but first…" Atsushi turned to the two Jonins, one was humming a merry tone while the other was reading a smut novel.

"Areku-san, Kakashi-sensei." Both paused their respective activities and focused on the Genin, "You two are also included in the race."

"Wait a second, I didn't agree-"

"Of course we are included." Areku cut Kakashi off, the one-eyed jonin was about to protest but Atsushi had already started the race.

"Three!" All competitors raced off leaving the silver haired Jonin in the dust.

'Oh shit.' was all Kakashi could say before he disappearing in a shunshin.

[+]

|Gates of Konoha|

The two eternal chunin weren't surprised by the sight of an orange blur zooming through the gates, no they were surprised by the sight of five more differently colored blurs which zoomed after the orange one.

Now the rankings, Naruto obviously bagged the 1st position, Sasuke and Atsushi were tied in 2nd, Hinata took 3rd, Areku 4th while Kakashi came in last which means he was paying for lunch.

"Since Naruto came first he decides where we have lunch at." Atsushi informed while laughing internally at the expression of pure misery their sensei made on realizing where Naruto could possibly choose to have lunch at.

[+]

|Ichiraku's ramen|

Kakashi was currently crying anime tears at the amount of ramen the blonde consumed or was still consuming, the rest of his team had stopped at their second or third bowl respectively but Naruto kept on going even past his twentieth bowl.

'Note to self, never treat Naruto to Ichiraku's ramen unless you want to be bankrupted.' Atsushi noted glad that he wasn't in Kakashi's shoes. Hinata and Sasuke also had similar thoughts along that line.

Luckily, Areku came to his rescue by paying half of the amount which Kakashi was severely grateful for, the one-eyed Jonin bid his team goodbye before heading over to submit the mission report to the Third Hokage.

[+]

**A/N: **Wave arc finally complete, hoped you enjoyed it.

4/4/20: Minor changes.

Total number of words: 5720 words

Jamesco1292002


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: A Notice and an Apology**

Reconstruction process complete!

Name changed to 'Naruto: An Uprising Shinobi'

Chapters 1 – 7 analyzed, broken down, reedited and republished.

Chapters are approximately 5000 – 6000 words

Omake/ Omake (ABS): A set of random flashbacks/ short stories about Atsushi's back story will or have been included, only selected chapters will feature this.

Jamesco1292002 sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience this 'reconstruction' may have caused and asks for your forgiveness and understanding. He also apologizes as updates will be slowed due to some exams.

Thanks you for understanding and forgiveness.

Total number of words: 100 words.

Jamesco1292002


	9. Chapter 9

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast Talking"**

'**Tailed Beast Thinking'**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**Chapter 9: New Clothes and Techniques**

[+]

**4 days after the Wave mission**

**13:47**

|Ichiraku's ramen shop|

Iruka was busy enjoying a bowl of what Naruto would call the food of gods when he suddenly felt a slight breeze coming from his left, taking a look in the said direction he noticed that the seat to his left was now occupied by a certain blond teenager who had whiskers on his cheek and a trademark grin plastered on his face.

"I arrived just on time, didn't I Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka allowed a smile to grace his features, "Yes you did Naruto-kun, so how about some bowls of ramen before we go shopping?"

Naruto smile grew at that, "I thought you will never ask?"

Now you must be wondering why Iruka is taking our favorite blond shopping, the answer is quite simple the academy teacher hasn't been able to spend some quality with the Uzumaki ever since he graduated from the academy, so the Chunin decided to change that and what better way to start than offering some ramen.

After a couple bowls of ramen, the two chatted amicably about irrelevant things until they came to a shop with the sign 'Higurashi's Weapons and Ninja Apparels' emblazoned above the door.

"Wow!" Naruto gaped in awe at the sheer size of the shop, "They must have an entire armory of weapons and stuff here!"

"Among other things." Iruka said with a smile, "Higurashi's is the best shop in the village for ninja tools and equipment. The quality of the custom-made weapons is legendary, as are the regular wares. You'll find some good stuff here, Naruto."

"If they will sell to me." Naruto reiterated bitterly.

"They'll sell to you." Iruka reassured him, "I've known old Tatsuhiko for years. He's tough, but fair and has never refused to sell to a customer that I know of."

Heartened by Iruka's encouragement, Naruto followed him into the shop.

[+]

Inside, the main floor of the shop was rack upon rack of swords. Katana, Ninjata, Nodachi, Tanta, Yoroida shi, Wakizashi, Chokuta, Kodachi, Tachi and even a handful of Zanbata were literally filling the room.

A long counter at the back of the room was loaded up with kunai and shuriken, ninja wire and soldier pills of all kinds. A girl who appeared to be a year older than Naruto sat behind the counter polishing a kodachi. She had brown hair done up in a pair of buns on her head, steel grey eyes and wore a pink top. A hitai-ate was tied around her head to signify her status as a shinobi of Konohagakure.

"Ah? Welcome to Higurashi Weapons and Ninja Apparels." the girl placed the blade on the counter when she noticed them, "Iruka-sensei, it's been a while."

"Tenten, you look well." Iruka replied, "Is Gai still driving you nuts?"

"Oh yes." Tenten replied sourly, "YOUTH this and BURNING BRIGHTLY that. Lee is just as bad."

"Sound's tough." Iruka chuckled, "By the way, where's Tatsuhiko?"

"Oyaji's out of town to bring in a new shipment of chakra metal." Tenten said, "Anyway, who is this that you've brought with you?"

"This is Naruto Uzumaki." Iruka introduced his ex-student, who smiled at Tenten, "He's looking for some kunai, shuriken, as well as a new ninja outfit."

"Well he definitely needs a new outfit." Tenten said with a frown, "Those kami-forsaken orange monstrosities are barely holding themselves together."

"Well excuse me." Naruto grumbled.

"Ah, don't worry about it." Tenten flapped her hand at him, "We'll find you something to replace that outfit. How much have you got to spend?"

Naruto pondered for a minute, "About a hundred thousand Ryo." **[1]**

Tenten gaped at him for a moment. "That... that will get you quite a lot." she said at last, "Which would you like to get first? Weapons or clothes?"

"Clothes." Naruto said firmly, "The kunai and shuriken came be purchased later."

"This way then." Tenten led them through a door in the side of the room. The next room was a smorgasbord of ninja clothes and armor.

"So what would you like?"

[+]

**Next day**

|Naruto's Apartment|

**BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

Bright, cerulean-blue eyes slowly widened to the loud beeping of an alarm clock. Groggily rising from the bed, the blonde Uzumaki rubbed his eyes before deactivating the bedroom accessory.

'Oi, Rise and shine Kurama!' Naruto yelled mentally to his tenant.

"**Ugh. Five more minutes, Kit." **Kurama groaned, rolling in his sleep. Naruto rolled his eyes at the reply then jumped out of bed ready to perform his morning duties/ chores.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Five shadow clones puffed into existence and distributed the chores among themselves, SC 1 made the bed, SCs 2 and 3 tidied up the apartment then took the trash out, SC 4 made breakfast and lastly SC 5 fetched his clothes, while this was going on, the original was in the bathroom freshening up. He was almost done drying himself when the memories of each clones flooded his brain, tying the towel around his waist he left the bathroom for his bedroom and immediately smiled at his clone's choice of clothing.

[+]

|Konoha's Rooftops|

Naruto clad in his new attire dashed/ hopped across the rooftops of Konoha with one destination in mind.

'Wait till Sushi sees the new me.' He thought to himself, imagining the look on his friend's face.

"**Mmmh … Now that is what I call a good night's rest."** Kurama asked, now rising from his sleep.

'It's about time you woke up.' Naruto replied.

"**Giant foxes do need their beasty rest, so where are you going to, kit?"**

Naruto rolled his eyes once more, 'I'm heading towards the Kishida residence.'

"**To showcase your new clothes?"** Kurama asked.

'Yes.' Was the blonde's reply.

"**I don't see the big deal why you humans wear clothes? The rest of the animal kingdom doesn't."**

'It's because we aren't animals.'

"**Of course you are, don't you guys eat other animals for lunch?"**

'Yes we do, but…'

"**Don't you guys defend your loved one from harm?"**

'Of course but…'

"**Don't you guys feel certain urges when your loved ones are around?"**

"…"

"**Don't…"**

'Ok ok fine, I agree that humans are animals now can you please stop.'

"**Fine, wake me up if any interesting happens."** Naruto wanted to make a reply but couldn't as he heard the snores of the now sleeping beast. 'I wonder how he was able to attack the village when most of his time is spent sleeping.' The Uzumaki thought.

"**Actually it's 50% of my time." **The fox replied.

'I thought you were sleeping?'

"**I was until some brat couldn't keep his trap shut."** Naruto sweat dropped at that before cutting off the connection.

[+]

|Kishida Residence|

**Knock! Knock!**

Atsushi opened the door and stared at the visitor, "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm looking for a Genin who goes by the name Atsushi Kishida." The person replied.

Atsushi analyzed the visitor at his door stop, "Sorry but do I know you?"

The 'visitor' in question wore a black long sleeved shirt, black ANBU combat pants with an orange stripe running by the sides, black and red forearm guards, black fingerless gloves and blue shinobi sandals. At the top of his head, spiky blond hair was revealed, along with three whisker-like birthmarks on his cheeks.

'Wait… Blond hair? Orange stripes? Whiskers?'

Atsushi then searched for one final feature which he found attached to a blank metal protector on the shoulder, a red spiral symbol which happened to be the Uzumaki crest.

"Naruto?"

"Took you long enough." The now identified Naruto said with a grin, for a second there he thought that he wouldn't be recognized by his best friend.

"I'm impressed you finally got rid of that eyesore but where did you get these?" Atsushi asked knowing that most of the shops in Konoha wouldn't sell to the demon brat.

"Higurashi's Weapons and Ninja Apparels, Iruka showed me the place." Atsushi nodded as he examined the clothes.

"These are really good Naruto." Atsushi said greatly impressed by its quality.

Naruto grinned, "Good enough to attract the ladies?"

"We will see about that but I know someone who's already attracted."

"Really? Who?"

"Sorry but it isn't my place to answer that."

"Bummer."

"Anyway." Atsushi said changing the subject, "You will have to take me to this Higurashi sometime later as Areku-san and I are currently rearranging some stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Naruto inquired, slightly curious.

"Oh you know books… documents… scrolls." Seeing that he had caught the blonde's attention with the mention of scrolls, Atsushi led Naruto in a fairly large room.

Inside the room, one could see dozens of shelves in various locations, each with a sign that designated what it held.

One shelf had a sign that said Wind, the one to the left of it stated Fire, the one to the right said Lightning, another said Water, then Earth and going down line you saw, Taijutsu, Non-elemental Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Bukijutsu, Kenjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Geography, Politics/ Clans, Wilderness Survival, Tactics and Strategy, Medical, etc. Summary was the shelves were filled with multitudes of scrolls. Naruto curious about their source asked his green-haired friend where the scrolls came from, Atsushi released a chuckle before explaining that amount of scrolls that the secret vaults and clans of Konoha threw in the trash when they re-copy the info on newer scrolls was insane and that Areku-san has been collecting them for the past 12 years. The young Kishida had also helped his Oji-san in making copies which were sent to Arashigakure for 'safe keeping' but Naruto didn't need to know that.

Speaking of Naruto, the blonde suddenly found himself lying flat on the grown with a kunai placed at his throat.

"Who are you and how did you get in?" Areku asked with a cold glare as the kunai remained fixed in its position.

"Areku-san, it's me Naruto." Naruto said confused at the Jonin's reaction, he sent Atsushi the 'HEY! Back me up here' look but the latter shrugged then mouthed 'You're on your own'.

The Kishida Jonin lowered the kunai a bit, "Prove it?"

Naruto blinked, "Ok, shoot."

"What event convinced the Elemental Daimyo to help fund the construction of Arashigakure?" Areku asked, since only him, Atsushi and Naruto knew the answer.

"When members of the Kishida clan fouled an assassination attempt by some rogue-nins on the Daimyo's life." Naruto answered correctly.

"If the Nisankugan is crossbred with another bloodline what happens?" Areku continued.

"If the other bloodline is a dominant one then both bloodlines are eliminated, but if recessive then the Nisankugan prevails."

"Atsushi learnt the Rakurai at what age?" Areku had already gotten off of Naruto but kept on asking.

"Six." Areku smiled as that confirmed one thing.

"Sorry about that Naruto, I didn't recognize you without your hideous orange jumpsuit." Areku explained.

"HEY! What's wrong with orange?" Naruto asked sending a bit of KI at the two.

"Nothing." Atsushi replied way too quickly, prompting Naruto to direct majority of the KI in his direction.

"Let's just say nobody would have taken you seriously if you had kept on wearing that monstrosity." Areku said, coming to his nephew's help.

Naruto nodded slowly dispelling the Kyubi-backed KI, "So what now?"

"Now you guys head to your training grounds, I'm sure your teammates are waiting." Both boys nodded at that and quickly left.

Seeing that they were gone, Areku picked up a scroll which happened to be lying around and glanced at its contents.

'Hmm… History of the Hyuga clan and their techniques… How interesting.'

[+]

**10 minutes later**

|Training Grounds 7|

Both boys arrived at the training ground and found that the rest of their teammates were already present, Sasuke and Hinata also took note of the change in the blonde's appearance.

"Oi, Dobe." The raven-haired called, "What's with the new clothes?"

"Meh, I had overgrown the previous one plus these are way better on the eyes." Naruto answered before turning to his female teammate, "So Hinata, what do you think?"

"Y-You look great, Naruto-kun." She responded while trying to fight down a massive blush which Naruto noticed.

"I told you I will be getting that reaction from the ladies." Naruto whispered to his green-haired friend.

"You get that reaction from her almost every day." The Kishida stated then realized that he shouldn't have said that. Naruto got confused at his statement and was about to ask what he meant when a figure made himself known.

"Yo." Kakashi said with a two finger salute.

"…You're early?" Sasuke asked slightly surprised that their Sensei came on time.

"And by two hours." Naruto said just as surprised as his rival.

"Well miracles do happen." Atsushi added, 'Looks like he finally taking his duties seriously.'

"Actually I'm not really here." Kakashi informed.

[+]

**Some explanations later**

"Let me get this straight," Naruto began, "You're a shadow clone and the real Kakashi-sensei isn't going to train us today?"

"Yes to both questions but don't worry my substitute should be here any minute now." The shadow clone replied with its face buried in a book commonly read by perverts.

"Can we I least know what's so important that he skipped training his team?" Sasuke asked with a visible scowl.

"Sorry but that's top secret."

"He's attending the unveiling of a new Icha Icha book, isn't he?" Atsushi said glaring at the 'Kakashi' present.

The shadow clone began to sweat bullets as the others joined in, "Well you see… good bye." It said before dispelling itself.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"OK that's it Kakashi-sensei needs to be taught that his students are more important than some smut novel."

"How are we going to do that Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, wondering how he will accomplish such a task.

"Easy, we prank him." The blonde replied with a devilish grin.

"I don't think that a good idea, Naruto." Atsushi said.

"I second that." Areku said as he appeared in front of the Genin. "Let me guess Kakashi ditched you guys?" He received a nod from each Genin. "And Naruto is planning to get back at him with a prank?"

Another nod.

"Well that Kakashi for you, anyway I'm your substitute for the day."

Naruto and Sasuke smirked at the news however Atsushi wanted to know something.

"When did Kakashi-sensei notify you that you were our substitute-sensei?"

"4 minutes ago through a shadow clone." Atsushi nodded at the reply.

"Today I will be teaching you guys some Jutsus based on your chakra type (affinity) but before that, Shadow Clone Jutsu!"Three clones of the Jonin materialized out of the smoke bands.

"Sasuke you're with SC 1, Naruto SC 2 and Atsushi SC 3." The boys nodded then followed the shadow clones to different sections of the training ground where no will interfere with their training.

The Kishida Jonin then focused on the remaining student, "So how is your Gentle Fist training coming around?"

Hinata seemed confused as to why he was asking but answered anyway, "G-Good I guess."

Areku slowly nodded before developing an off look which Hinata had seen on her Kishida teammate whenever he was deep in thought. About 10 seconds later the Jonin reached into his backpack and pull out a scroll, "This may be of some help." He said while handing it over to the Hyuga.

"What is it Areku-san?" She asked after accepting the scroll.

"Open it and see for yourself?" was the calm reply.

Hinata gazed down at the fairly large scroll in her hands, it seemed quite familiar but she couldn't point out why. The Heiress dismissed those thoughts and proceeded to untie the ribbon, once that was done she unfurled it and read the first three lines before dropping the scroll in shock.

"Before you start panicking I didn't steal it," Areku defended.

"But how?" She whispered after composing herself.

"I found this copy lying around in the trash about 7 years ago; the original is still within the Hyuga compound." Areku explained further.

Hinata slowly nodded then picked up the scroll, "May I keep it?" She asked politely, back home only the elders and clan head had access to the prized scroll, anyone who wanted to learn a technique from the scroll had to be taught by members of that group and since she was seen as a failure in the eyes of the elders she didn't learn much.

"Sure it's basically useless to me since I can't use the Jyuken." Areku said before heading over to tree where he assumed his meditation stance.

Hinata followed suit but assumed a reading position with the scroll in hand, the Hyuga eyes was immediately attracted to a technique which seemed similar to the one she had difficulty learning.

[+]

(With Naruto)

"Ok Naruto, you ready to learn some water jutsu?" SC 2 asked.

"You better believe it." Naruto's enthusiastic reply caused a smile to appear on the clone's face.

"The technique I'm about to teach you is a defensive one so pay close attention." Naruto remain silent as the clone began to weave hand seals, "Now Naruto I can only perform this technique about three times before I run out of chakra so try to grab it at the first instant." The clone revealed.

"Will do." Naruto said as he began to memorize the hand seals.

"Water Style: Water Wall Jutsu!"The clone's cheeks puffed out before expelling a stream of water which quickly transformed into watery barrier about 2 meters high and 4ft away from the clone, "Once the wall has been established you must maintain a constant supply of chakra in order to sustain it."

"Ok now it's my turn." He began weaving hand seals.

"Water Style: Water Wall Jutsu!"Naruto's cheeks puffed out but instead of expelling a stream of water he expelled a large volume of water in the form of powerful torrent of water which tore through some trees along its path.

"I'm sure you know what you did wrong?" the clone asked Naruto who was now panting heavy.

"I… I used… too much chakra." Naruto said in between pants, the clone nodded at his answer.

"But on the bright side you were able to perform the Water Style: Water Torrent Jutsu without me having to teach it to you."

"… Sweet."

[+]

(With Atsushi)

"We start with a simple Earth Jutsu the 'Earth Style: Stone Fist' this requires no hand seals just some chakra, a fist and some earth." Seeing the confused look on the boy's face SC 3 decided to demonstrate.

Atsushi watched as the shadow clone coated its hand in chakra then smashed it into the ground before withdrawing, once the hand was fully withdrawn with was completely covered with earth.

"The aim of this jutsu is to maximize damage inflicted upon an enemy." The clone explained before walking over to a tree and smashing it. Atsushi's jaw dropped as the tree split into two parts before crumbling to the ground.

"The only down side is that the fist feels sore or numb after the technique has been canceled." The clone concluded as it stopped channeling chakra to its hand canceling the technique.

The Genin Kishida nodded and began to channel some chakra.

[+]

(With Sasuke)

"My other self is currently teaching Naruto the Water Style: Water Wall while I will be teaching you its fire equivalent the Flame Wall." SC 1 said before weaving a couple of hand seals.

Sasuke watched as the clone inhaled a bit of oxygen then exhaled a continuous stream of fire which formed a flaming wall about 2 meters high and a foot thick.

Once the flames had died down SC 1 began to talk, "Now don't feel bad if you don't get it on your first try, it took me about…"

"Fire Style: Flame Wall Jutsu!"Sasuke interrupted then exhaled an almost identical Jutsu which left the clone speechless for some minutes.

"… How did you get it on…?" Then the answer struck him, "you used the Sharingan didn't you?"

Sasuke smirked, "You never said I couldn't."

"… Well played Sasuke… well played."

[+]

(Back with Hinata)

Fuzen Kaiten (Partial Rotation) — a simple technique created in the early days of the Hyuga clan but has been long forgotten as of late.

Procedure — The user hold out his/ her right or left hand then initiates a semi-circular spin while releasing chakra from their palm's tenketsu which creates a blanket of chakra capable of the deflecting an attack.

Rank — N/A

Note— it is required to learn the Fuzen Kaiten before moving onto the Kaiten as this helping the acquisition of the latter much easier however records have shown that one can be able to learn the Kaiten without mastering the Fuzen Kaiten.

Hinata stared at the scroll for a few seconds then decided to give it a try. She held out her right hand and initiated a 180 degree spin.

[+]

**6 hours later**

**14:27**

All the Genins now reassembled at the clearing waiting for Areku to call it a day, each Genin had a smile on their face as they were able to fully master the respective jutsus assigned to them especially Hinata who after 3 tries was able to perform the Fuzen Kaiten. Naruto still need to work on the Water Wall but hey he accidently learnt the Water Torrent so he was quite happy with himself. Atsushi found the Stone Fist to be slightly different from his Lightning Fist but that didn't stop him from mastering it. Sasuke had learnt/ copied all the three Jutsus demonstrated to him (thanks to his Sharingan) and was willing to continue but SC1 revealed that he was low on chakra after performing the third jutsu.

Areku cleared his throat and was about to call it a day when…

"Yo." A certain someone said as he appeared in a puff of smoke, his face buried in a book.

All eyes immediately fell on the silver-haired Jonin before going over to the book he had in his right hand.

Judging by it title seemed to be a brand new edition of the Icha-Icha series.

Kakashi had ditched them to go buy a perverted novel.

Seeing the amount of hate being directed at the Cyclops, Areku did the wise thing and immediately deserted the impending battle zone not before offering a silent prayer for Kakashi's soul.

The man in question was still reading his book slightly surprised that none of the Genins (particularly Naruto) had yelled at him for being late, that was until he was suddenly blasted with a lot of KI. The Jonin slowly raised his head from the book and noticed that Sasuke, Atsushi and Hinata had all taken battle stances with their various dojutsus activated and behind them was a horde of Narutos each wielding kunai coated with wind chakra.

"… I messed up didn't I?"

The answer came in the form of 4 jutsus being launched at him.

[+]

**Summary of the next 10 days**

To put it straight Kakashi managed to survive (To the Genin's disappointment and annoyance) but not without receiving a few injuries here and there. The Jonin was able quell their anger by promising to teach them some jutsus and taking them on a C-rank mission once their break was over which they gladly accepted.

The mission was to deliver an important package to a town in the Southern part of the Fire country; the package happened to be valuable as the team encountered a decent numbers of bandits and thieves. Nothing a couple of determined Genins couldn't handled, actually it quickly turned into a game as each member kept count of how many bandits he or she could defeat.

In the end the package was delivered and the mission completed in less than 3 days, however when the Team 7 arrived at the gates of Konoha they meet an ANBU wearing a cat mask.

"Naruto Uzumaki, the Hokage requests your presence at once." The masked shinobi stated, "Please accompany me to the Hokage Tower."

"Is there a problem, Neko-san?" Kakashi asked, curious about what occurred during their absence.

"Actually yes, a day after you and your team had left something disturbing occurred that requires Uzumaki-san's presence." The ANBU replied.

Atsushi turned to his blonde friend, "Naruto?"

"I didn't pull off any prank I swear." Naruto replied immediately.

"Don't worry Uzumaki-san; you aren't the one in trouble." The ANBU assured before turning to Kakashi who knew what she wanted.

"Alright then, Naruto off you go."

Naruto nodded and walked over to the ANBU, who grabbed his shoulder and vanished with him in another swirl of leaves.

[+]

|Hokage Tower|

Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his eyes tiredly as he knew this would not be a pleasant talk for the boy for the boy sitting in front of him.

"Jiji is something wrong?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun but someone was able to break into your apartment and vandalize it."

"So they finally managed to break in?" Naruto sighed, "What's the damage?"

"Every piece of furniture has been smashed to pieces, every wall has been painted with the words 'Demon Brat' or 'Spouse Killer' on their surfaces, all books and scrolls have been either torn or burnt and every door and window in the apartment has been smashed as well." Neko-san answered this time, "Whoever carried this out was very thorough."

"Aw man! My landlord is going to be pissed at me for this!" Naruto groaned.

"He said we should give this to you when you return." The ANBU said handing over a letter to the teenager, "It is an eviction letter."

"What?!" Naruto yelped, "Where would I live in?"

"Naruto-kun, do you have your wallet?" Hiruzen asked, "It wasn't in the wreckage."

"Gama-chan never goes more than a hands length away from me!" Naruto said as he pulled the toad-design wallet from his pocket.

"Good. That's something at least." Hiruzen nodded, "Areku has offered to temporary shelter you while I prepare a new place for you to live in."

Naruto sagged slightly as he leaned back in the chair with another sigh.

"That's good but I'll have to go back to the apartment to check if my hidden stash of books and scrolls is among the ruined books." He grumbled.

"Neko, go to Naruto-kun's former apartment and search it for any hidden compartment that houses any books or scrolls." Hiruzen ordered with the ANBU obeying quickly.

"So any idea of who could have done this?" Naruto asked.

"They are already in the Torture & Interrogation department and have confessed to their crimes, tomorrow they shall be executed as a warning to others."

Naruto frowned a bit, "Do they really have to be executed?"

Hiruzen sighed sadly, "Yes, if not others won't learn."

[+]

**4 days later**

With some help from his teammates, Naruto had moved into his new apartment. It was slightly larger his previous one plus the rent was half of what he paid for his previous one, once the Third found out about that he requested that his previous landlord refund Naruto of all he had been illegally charged for or be locked up. Naruto's new landlord happened to a close friend of Hiruzen's who also didn't see Naruto as the Demon fox. Turns out that the hooligans weren't able to discover Naruto's hidden stash which the Uzumaki was thankful for, Team 7 returned to the wonderful world of D-ranks missions much to their dismay but they couldn't do anything about it since they were only Genin.

[+]

Omake

**A month after the Wave incident**

|Naruto's Mindscape|

"**Ok Naruto I need you do a few things for me**." The Kyubi began.

"What can of things?"

"**I want you to tweak the seal so that we will be able to share senses; it… gets dull just lying around in a cage. I miss the feel of the wind, the scent of flowers and the sounds of nature around me. This will also set up a mental connection where I can be able to contact you without you having to come here."**

Naruto nodded, "How will I do that?"

"**You just need to rip off a piece of the seal."**

"Wouldn't that cause the seal to collapse thereby freeing you?"

"**No and besides there are several fail safes and backups that the piece missing won't even weaken the seal at all."**

Naruto thought over it and decided to trust the fox, he walked up to the cage and with help from Kurama was lifted up to the seal.

"How much will I have to rip off?"

"**Just rip off the size of your thumb nail."** Naruto nodded and ripped off the said amount. Once that was done a red chakra swirled around him before it was absorbed into his body.

"That felt… pleasant."

"**Now we will be able to communicate mentally and you will develop soon some of my senses and abilities." **Kurama concluded.

"Like what?"

"**My heightened sense of smell and hearing then here's my ability to detect negative emotions and some others which you will to find out on your own?"**

The Uzumaki simply nodded his head before closing his eyes and entering some kind of concentration trance.

After a few seconds had passed, Naruto broke the silence.

"Hey Kurama." began the blonde.

"**Yeah?"** the fox answered.

Almost immediately after the nine-tailed fox spoke, the biju froze in stunned disbelief as the oppressive cage that held it hostage for thirteen long years disappeared.

After the cage was gone, the leaky sewer landscape seemed to shift and morph until it became a large and wide open expanse.

The Kyubi now stood on a massive grassy field, which seemed to extend for miles upon miles. There was a large forest to the east that led into a horizon filled with mountains. On the west, the ground elevated for hundreds of meters until it became a rocky-ledge. The sky which used to be a bleary grey, was now a bright cerulean-blue with white wispy clouds, a roaring yellow sun, and an expansive rainbow.

Finally, a necklace with a paper tag that had the kanji for 'seal' printed on it appeared on the Kyubi's neck, signifying the end of Naruto's landscaping.

"… **How did you know this was my second request?"** Kurama asked.

"Nobody likes living in a sewer so I changed it." Naruto said as he looked around, "What do you think?"

"**I can't believe I'm saying this but thanks kit."**

"You're welcome now I have to return to my Teammates." Naruto said as he faded away, leaving the Kyubi to discover his new habitat.

[+]

**A/N:** Some sections were rushed I admit, but I really want to introduce the Chunin exams in the next chapter so I had to summarize some sections.

Naruto will learn Fuinjutsu after the Chunin exams under Ero-sennin in case anybody was wondering.

Now I will break down the development of each member of the team over the 4 months since they graduated.

**Sasuke**

\- Has been loosening up ever since Naruto saved him from a fan-girl problem (This will be featured in the near future)

\- Ever since unlocking the Sharingan, the Uchiha has been ransacking the Uchiha Clan Library for strong and powerful techniques.

\- Has been sparing occasionally against his teammates especially Naruto.

\- Has been working on his speed and reaction times.

**Hinata**

\- Improved her confidence by about 37% (At least she has stop fainting and stammering whenever Naruto is around so that counts)

\- Unlocked the ability to see an opponent's chakra network and pressure points (Before the wave mission she couldn't so she had to memorize their locations)

\- Working on improving the Jyuken (Gentle fist) by studying some of its lost/ forgotten original techniques.

**Atsushi**

\- Has been working with his Oji-san on learning some water and earth jutsu.

\- Assisting Naruto with some history lessons.

\- Worked on improving his speed, strength and reaction time.

**Naruto**

\- Improved vastly on his chakra control and correcting his taijutsu stance.

\- Worked on his physical condition and diet.

\- Learnt a couple of wind and water jutsu thanks to the use of his shadow clones.

\- Worked on improving his speed, strength and reaction time.

\- Gained significant knowledge on Shinobi skills and the rest thanks to some shadow clones who infiltrated the village's library under a henge to avoid being detected.

\- Secured a deal with Kurama on how to use his chakra and power.

\- Finally got rid of that eyesore of a jumpsuit for a proper shinobi attire.

[+]

[1] – Thanks to the loot gotten from Gato.

Anyway hope you are enjoying the fic, please review because they are really helpful.

Stay safe and importantly stay at home.

24/9/20: Minor changes.

Total number of words: 5489 words

Jamesco1292002


	10. Chapter 10

"Talking"

"Thoughts"

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast talking"**

"**Tailed Beast Thinking"**

**Sound effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**Chapter 10: Chunin Candidates**

[+]

**2 weeks later**

|Hokage Tower|

"You've been assembled there for only one reason." the Third said. "As most of you have probably realized, it should be obvious by the people here."

"It's already that time." Kakashi said. "It's already been reported to the other villages. I have already seen them enter the village"

Genma, a ninja wearing a Leaf bandana with a senbon in his mouth said. "So when is it?"

"Well, I will announce it properly then" Hiruzen said, standing up. "Seven days from now, the Chunin selection exams will begin. First we will hear from those supervising the new Genin. Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma do you recommend any of your team for the Chunin selection exams?" Kakashi stepped forward.

"The Kakashi led Team 7: Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuga, Sasuke Uchiha, and Atsushi Kishida, I Kakashi Hatake nominate them for the Chunin selection exams" Kakashi announced.

"The Kurenai led Team 8: Sakura Haruno, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame, I Kurenai Yuhi nominate all three of them for the exam" the genjutsu mistress said.

"The Asuma led Team 10: Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Choji Akamichi, I Asuma Sarutobi nominate all of them for this exam" Asuma announced.

"What?!" Iruka called out. He didn't see his former students as ready for this exam.

'All of them? This is quite a surprise?' the Hokage said to himself.

"Hold on!" Iruka shouted out. "Hokage-sama, please let me have a word." Receiving a nod in reply the Chunin continued, "These 10 individuals were just recently my students. I know their skills are exceptional, but it is still too early for them to take the exam. They need more experience."

Kakashi stepped forward to defend the nominations. "Iruka, I was a Chunin when I was seven years younger than Naruto."

"Naruto is different from you and that goes same for the others!" Iruka rebutted. "Are you trying to crush these kids?"

"Crushing them could be fun" Kakashi said. "They are always complaining about missions. I highly doubt that they will even make chunin this time around, but this will still be a good experience for them."

"What?!" Iruka said. "You think this is some game for your entertainment?"

Kakashi laughed a little. "That was just a joke, but stay out of this. They are no longer your students. They are my subordinates."

Iruka remained quiet after that.

[+]

|Ichiraku's|

Ayame watched in amazement and slight disgust as Naruto, Hinata and Atsushi engaged a ramen eating contest, Naruto just like he did to Atsushi had introduced Hinata to the ways of the ramen which the Hyuga heiress gladly indulged in (as long as none of her clansmen was around), Atsushi had suggested that he and Hinata team up against Naruto in order to increase their chances of winning but as usual Naruto won with 22 bowls to his teammates combined 19 bowls.

"Ok, Naruto where does all that ramen go to?" Atsushi asked, the Kishida could only stomach 9 bowls which was his limit.

"You know the usual location." Naruto replied as he patted his tummy with Hinata nodding in amusement.

"I guess that why they call you the King of Ramen." She pointed over to his picture which was hung on a wall with the title 'King of Ramen' under it.

Naruto just smiled at her observation, but before he could say anything, he noticed something to his left. He looked over and sweat dropped at what he saw. It was a square box with two eyeholes on the front of it.

"He still hasn't gotten any better, has he?" Naruto asked his teammates.

Atsushi looked over and sighed then said, "No, he hasn't."

Naruto shook his head in embarrassment then yelled, "Get out here Konohamaru!"

The box exploded in smoke and loud coughing could be heard from within the smoke.

"Udon! You used too much smoke!" a female voice cried.

"S-sorry!" a congested boy's voice apologized.

When the smoke cleared, three children could be seen trying to wave what was left of it away. The first boy was wearing a green outfit with a large scarf and had spiky brown hair. The second boy was wearing glasses and looked like he was sick. The lone girl was standing tall with her orange hair in two pigtails that stood straight into the air.

They all wore goggles on their forehead.

"... He's multiplied..." Naruto muttered.

"More like gained some followers." Atsushi added.

He and Atsushi first met Konohamaru when they went to get their pictures taken for their Ninja Cards. He had attempted to 'assassinate' the Third Hokage, and tripped on his scarf. After a heated argument with Naruto, he had taken to calling the older blond 'Boss' and making him his rival to becoming Hokage.

"Who are your friends Konohamaru?" Atsushi asked and the three promptly began their introduction.

"I'm Udon, and I like math!" the other boy said.

"I'm Moegi, the sassiest kunoichi in the Academy!" the girl said.

"I'm Konohamaru, the strongest ninja in the Academy!" the young Sarutobi proclaimed. "And together we make..."

"The Konohamaru Corps!" All three children finished as they made ridiculous poses. Naruto just face palmed, Atsushi chuckled while Hinata giggled at their antics.

'So that's the boy Hanabi has a crush on,' Hinata throught as she stared at Konohamaru, 'In a way he does look like Naruto.'

"Boss?"

"Yes."

"Who is the girl?" Konohamaru asked, pointing at Hinata.

"That's Hinata Hyuga my…"

"Girlfriend?" He suggested, both Naruto and Hinata blushed at that.

"… Actually she's my teammate…" Naruto explained, on hearing that Hinata's expression dropped a bit which Atsushi noticed.

"They are still getting there." Atsushi immediately added and their blushes returned tenfold.

"Oh!" Konohamaru said as he somehow understood the situation. "So you're Hanabi's bigger sister right?"

"Hai."

"That's great because-"

Naruto coughed loudly gaining back the boy's attention, "So what do you want Konohamaru?"

"Oh yes, will you play Ninja with us?" Konohamaru asked eagerly.

"If only Atsushi and Hinata can join." Naruto suggested.

Konohamaru glanced back at Udon and Moegi who both nodded at the idea, "Sure but you guys have to be the shinobi."

"Alright when does the game start?"

"Right now Boss."

The three academy students suddenly took off, leaving the Genin in their dust.

"I'm going after Udon." Atsushi said before going after said boy.

"Hinata go after Moegi, I will take care of Konohamaru." Hinata nodded and went after the pigtailed girl while Naruto went after the Sarutobi.

[+]

**Some minutes later**

|Konoha Central Park|

The Konohamaru corps was carefully hidden within a bush, with Konohamaru acting as their leader while Moegi and Udon kept an eye out for their captors.

"Any sign of them?" Konohamaru asked the two.

"No."

"Negative."

"That's a relief."

"Wait, Naruto-sama is heading this way." Moegi pointed out, the rest also took a look and indeed Naruto was heading towards their direction.

"What do we do?" She asked.

"Keep quiet and maybe he won't notice us." Konohamaru ordered with his friends obeying.

The three watched as Naruto walked passed by their hiding spot heading towards a junction then made a right turn and left.

"What a minute, something isn't right." Konohamaru said just before he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

The Hokage grandson turned around to identity the owner of the hand and then…

"BOO!" Naruto said as the three screamed in terror.

The Konohamaru corps immediately abandoned their hideaway and ran into an alleyway with Naruto in pursue. That happened to be a bad idea as Hinata and Atsushi were already here waiting; the two quickly captured Moegi and Udon while Konohamaru was lucky enough to have escaped capture by taking a left turn down a corner but was unfortunate enough to have collided into someone.

Naruto, Moegi, Udon, Atsushi and Hinata turned the corner to see Konohamaru being held off of the ground by a teenager wearing a full body suit that had a cat-like appearance. He had purple paint on his face, and had a large bandaged bundle on his back.

"That hurt you brat," the teen growled as he tightened his grip on Konohamaru's shirt.

"Enough Kankuro, stop playing with the little kid," the female behind him said, she was wearing a violet outfit, appeared to be in her mid-teens and had her dirty blond hair tied into four pigtails. On her back was a giant metal bar of some kind. Both of them had Sunagakure forehead protectors on their heads.

"Relax Temari, just let me teach this kid how to respect his betters," Kankuro told her with a smirk. Temari just rolled her eyes and watched out of boredom.

"Put me down you makeup wearing freak!" Konohamaru cried.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because he's is the Hokage grandson." Naruto answered, walking over to the two.

"This midget is the Hokage grandson?" Kankuro stared at his captive closely before scoffing, "I knew Konoha was weak but this is just pathetic."

"Care to repeat that." Atsushi requested as he appeared beside Naruto, leaving Moegi and Udon with Hinata.

Kankuro ignored the Kishida as he pulled back his fist. But before he could punch the young boy, he was hit in the face with a rock causing him to drop Konohamaru who scrambled behind Naruto for safety.

"Nice aim Sasuke." Naruto acknowledged, glancing at the Uchiha who was on top of a tree branch continuously chucking another small rock before catching it.

Sasuke replied with his usual 'Hn' before focusing on the Suna-nins, "What are you bastards doing in our village?"

Kankuro glared back at the Uchiha then reached towards the bundle on his back when…

"Kankuro, stop it." A voice called out. Everyone's attention was drawn to the owner of the voice which is a boy with red hair and a large gourd on his back.

"Ga-Gaara," Kankuro gasped out when he saw the younger boy. Temari was also shaking at the sight of the redhead as he glared at them.

"Kankuro, you're a disgrace to the village," Gaara said as he glared at the older boy.

"B-but Gaara they start-" Kankuro was cut off when Gaara vanished in a sand shunshin and reappeared between him and Naruto.

"Shut up before I kill you," Gaara told him.

_"He is kidding right?"_ Naruto asked the Kishida by his side.

"I can't tell." Atsushi responded.

Sasuke looked over at their 'leader' and tried to analyze the newcomer. Before he could, Gaara had disappeared in a cloud of sand and reappeared next to Kankuro.

"Sorry about the actions of my brother." Gaara said, apologizing for Kankuro. "I guess we arrived here too early."

"You guys are for the Chunin exams right?" Atsushi asked.

"Yes we are." The blonde kunoichi said as she showed them her pass.

"Well good luck."

"Same to you."

Sasuke jumped down from his perch. "Hey, what's your name?"

"Who me?" the blonde kunoichi asked with a pink tint on her cheeks.

"No, you with the gourd." Sasuke said, directing his gaze to their 'Leader'.

"Sabaku no Gaara (Gaara of the Desert). I am also interested in yours." The red-haired replied.

"Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke answered.

Gaara nodded and turned to the black clad ninja, "And you?"

"Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto replied slightly surprised that someone wanted to know his name; he was actually expecting to be ignored like usual.

Gaara nodded once more and departed with his siblings' right behind him.

'Something is strange about that kid,' Naruto said to himself/ tenant.

"**Let's see, (sniff) (sniff) insomnia, sand, gore, and a hint of insanity," **Kyubi mused. **"Yep that's the** **Jinchuriki of the Ichibi**.**"**

_'You mean that he's just like me?' _Naruto asked.

"**Yes, but keep away from him for the time being."** Kurama advised.

'What! Why?'

"**Because he won't be able to control himself once the Ichibi asks for your blood."**

Naruto gulped at that, "I hear your point."

[+]

**Next day**

|Training Ground 7|

"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto yelled at Kakashi, who just appeared on the bridge that he had asked his team to meet on.

"Sorry, but I got caught up registering you guys for the Chunin exams." Kakashi responded, displaying his usual eye-smile to them.

Remembering the Suna-nin they encountered the day before made the Genin believed him.

"Here are your applications, if you are going to take the exams, then come to room 301 at the academy six days from now." Kakashi explained. Naruto jumped upon of their sensei, thanking him for nominating them for the exams. "You're welcome." Kakashi replied, freeing himself from the hyper-active blonde, "These forms need to be turned in by 4 PM tomorrow to the Hokage's tower if you are going to take them. I will give you the rest of today and tomorrow to decide. Based on your response we'll go from there."

With that, Kakashi left the four Genin to their thoughts.

'I will be able to fight against a lot of strong competitors like that Gaara kid.' Sasuke said.

'If I win, then I will one step closer to being a Hokage."Naruto thought to himself, imagining himself on a winner's pedestal.

"**That's if you can beat the Ichibi's Jinchuriki." **Kurama said to his host.

'I'm sure we will find a way around.'

"**We?"**

'Of course you can't expect me to defeat another Jinchuriki without your help.'

"**I guess your right about that."**

"So what do you think Naruto, Hinata and Atsushi?" Sasuke asked his team.

"I'm definitely in!" Naruto exclaimed, giving Sasuke a slight grin.

"I… I guess I'm in as well." Hinata said a bit unsure of how she will perform.

"I'm also in, can't wait to see the competition." Atsushi said.

[+]

**7 days later**

|Academy|

"So where do we have to go again?" Naruto asked as he and his team walked into the Academy.

"To room 301, that's where Kakashi-sensei said that's where first part of the exams is being held," Atsushi told him as he opened the door of the building.

Team 7 arrived to a mass of people standing in front of a door with the room number 301 above it. Two ninja were guarding the door, preventing anyone from getting through. They then looked at another Genin who was wearing a green spandex suit with orange leg warmers, trying to force his way through, only to get shoved back by the guards.

"Please let us pass!" The boy said as his teammate who Naruto recognized as Tenten, helped him up.

"We're helping you Genin. These exams are tougher than you think," one of the guards said.

"Yeah, if you can't beat us, then you have no chance passing the first stage," his partner said.

"This is _second_ floor, right?" Naruto whispered.

"Yes, there's a Genjutsu over the door," Hinata whispered back.

"Then someone has to dispel it." Sasuke said as he began to walk towards the guards, Atsushi quickly reached out to stop him.

"Don't do it."

"Why?"

"It's the first test; they are trying to remove unnecessary competition." The Kishida then gestured towards the staircase, "Let's quietly headed over to next floor without anyone seeing us." Atsushi whispered back so that he wouldn't be overheard.

As Team 7 proceeded to the stairs, they were followed by the Genin who was shoved back by the guards.

"Hey wait up." The Genin called gaining their attention.

"What do you want?" Sasuke demanded.

"You are Sasuke Uchiha correct?"

"That's right," the Uchiha confirmed.

"The name's Rock Lee and I challenge you to a youthful battle right here and right now," The now identified Rock Lee declared.

"I accept." His teammates stared at him as if he was mad.

"But Sasuke-san, we have to go to the examination room before it's too late!" Hinata tried to tell him but was ignored.

'_Finally, I will get to test my skills against the #1 rookie and Gai-sensei will be proud of me.'_ Lee thought to himself. "So are you ready Sasuke-kun?"

The Uchiha nodded and with that, he attacked Lee. Lee quickly dodged and kicked back at Sasuke. He could not evade the attack and had to resort to blocking the attack. As Lee made a quick hand seal, Sasuke braced himself for some sort of Ninjutsu, only to be hit in the stomach by a second kick.

'What sort of Ninjutsu or Genjutsu was that?' Sasuke thought before activating his dojutsu.

"That's…" Lee said, looking into Sasuke's eyes. "The Sharingan."

Sasuke charged at Lee, thinking that he would use his eyes to reveal what type of Ninjutsu or Genjutsu Lee was using, unfortunately he couldn't and got kicked in chin by his opponent.

"What?! The Sharingan couldn't read that?" Sasuke said with a bit of pain.

"Yes, my techniques are neither Ninjutsu nor Genjutsu" Lee stated. "Shadow Leaf Dance!" Lee appeared behind Sasuke, who was still mid-air. "Yes Sasuke, my techniques are simply Taijutsu. They say the Sharingan can read all sorts of Nin, Gen, and Taijutsu. It is true that you get the advantage in a Nin and Genjutsu battle by reading and copying your opponent's hand seals, but a taijutsu battle is different."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.

"Even if you can read my movements, if your body can't move, then it's useless." Lee stated, unwrapping the bandages on his arm. "Do you know that amongst strong ninjas, there are two types; the genius and the hard working type? You are the genius and I am the hardworking type, having mastered only Taijutsu. And with this technique, I'll prove that hard work surpasses genius."

Out of the corner of his eyes, Lee saw a kunai fly past him with a green cloth attached to it. He stopped his technique, knowing that the fight was now over.

"That's enough Lee" a turtle said, appearing in the room. As Sasuke was falling to the ground, Atsushi caught him, saving him from a dangerous position that Sasuke had not even bothered recovering from. Looking at him, he saw that Sasuke was shaken from the battle. 'Well at least he now knows that the Sharingan can be beaten.'

The turtle spoke again as everyone watched. "Lee, that technique is forbidden."

"Yes but..."

"No buts, It's time for your punishment!" the turtle shouted as a cloud of smoke erupted from its back. When it cleared, an older version of Lee stood there, except this one was wearing a Jonin vest. Team 7 nearly passed out, disgusted at the resemblance between the two.

"Lee, you fool!" the man yelled. Lee cringed and bowed before the man.

"Please forgive me Gai-sensei!" Lee pleaded.

"Silence!" Gai thundered. "Prepare to take your punishment like a man!" he then punched Lee and sent him flying into a wall much to everyone's shock.

"Which kind of punishment is this?" Atsushi taught loudly.

"One I wouldn't want to receive." Naruto answered.

The members of Team 7 weren't prepared for what happened next.

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

With that, the two hugged, creating an ocean sunset in the background. Kurama was lucky to have been asleep at the moment if not he would has mentally scarred for eternity.

"I am sorry sensei. For that, I will do 1000 laps around the village after the exam" Lee said.

"That's the spirit Lee."

"These guys are training-maniacs." Naruto whispered to his team. Gai then turned around to the four of them.

"Hey guys, how is Kakashi doing?" Gai asked, winking and giving them his youthful smile.

"You know Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata asked.

"People refer to us as, eternal rivals" Gai said.

'He is Kakashi's rival?' Sasuke said to himself before realizing that Atsushi was still carrying him. "Atsushi, let me down"

"Sure." Atsushi replied, immediately removing his hands prompting the Uchiha to land on his butt. "You say I should let go so I did."

Sasuke glared but didn't say anything.

[+]

After Gai and Lee had left, Team 7 continued their journey up the stairs towards the third floor then room 301. Immediately they stepped into room 301 they were greeted with sharp glares, KI and the sight of a blonde-haired girl who rammed into their raven-haired teammate while wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Oh Sasuke-kun, you're late" Ino said, blushing and smiling.

"Get away from Sasuke, Ino-pig!" Sakura shouted as Naruto and Atsushi got out of the way of the incoming cat fight.

"I knew these exams were troublesome." Came the voice of Shikamaru Nara entered, followed by his friend Choji Akimichi who was munching some potato chips.

"Hey Shika, Choji was up?" Naruto greeted.

"The ceiling and where is your green friend?" Shikamaru asked.

"Atsushi? He's right…" The Uzumaki trailed off as he noticed that Atsushi wasn't by his side anymore.

[+]

Atsushi was scoping out the competition in the room, he noticed the absence of representatives from Iwa, Kumo and Kiri but other villages like Kusa, Ame, Suna, etc were present.

A tap on his shoulder snapped out of his thoughts, Atsushi turned around to identity the boy who stood behind and was surprised by what he saw. The boy has red rusty hair, green eyes, wore a dark red shirt with matching gloves and yellow pants, but what surprised the green-haired Genin the most was his forehead protector: it bore the insignia of his village (A triangle with its vertex pointing downwards). The boy motioned for the Kishida to follow him and Atsushi did just that.

The boy led him over to his teammates and introduced himself, "Eito Kishida." The boy said pointing to himself, "That's Banri." He pointed to his male counterpart, "and that's Himari our female teammate."

Banri greeted with a nod and Himari with a simple wave. Banri has brown hair, green eyes and wore a brown coat which extended to his knees revealing a portion of his blue pants. Himari had blond hair with whites stripes by the sides, green eyes, wore a red kimono with a black obi, fishnet stockings and long shinobi sandals.

"I didn't know that Arashigakure was sending a Genin team to Konoha?" Atsushi asked starting off the conversation.

"Neither did us until a week ago when our sensei informed us that we were selected to represent our village." Banri answered, "So what is like living in Konoha?"

[+]

After managing to get Ino off of Sasuke, Sakura apologized from any discomfort that she/ they may have caused before returning to her team leaving a surprised and slightly shocked Sasuke behind, 'Did she just apologize for making me uncomfortable?' the Uchiha said to himself.

Kiba revealed to everyone (excluding Atsushi since he is still with the Storm trio) that everyone were addressing them as the Rookie 10.

"Why?" Choji asked.

"It's because we're the only people in these exams who have been out of the Academy the shortest," Kiba replied.

"Makes sense," Shikamaru muttered. After he said that, an older Konoha ninja wearing a purple outfit approached them. He had silver hair, was wearing glasses and introduced himself as Kabuto.

"Hey you guys, quiet down. The last thing you want is to cause a scene" Kabuto told the rookies. "But I can't blame you. I remember how I was when I was a rookie."

"So you've taken this test before?" Sakura asked the newcomer.

"Actually, this is my seventh time, since the exam is held twice a year" Kabuto bragged.

"Wow, so you must know a lot about these exams" Sakura said.

"Yep. I'll even share some of my info with you, using the nin-cards" Kabuto said, whipping out a deck of cards. "Is there anyone you want information on?"

"How about, Gaara of the Desert and Rock Lee of the Hidden Leaf" Sasuke said, getting in on the action.

"Hmm, let's see. Rock Lee. He's a year older than you and has completed 20 D-ranks and 12 C-ranks. His specialty is in taijutsu with his nin and genjutsu being weak, if not non-existent. This is his first time taking the exams. He's on a team with Tenten Higurashi and Neji Hyuga, under the tutelage of Maito Gai." Kabuto read off.

"Now Gaara. 8 C-ranks and wow, a B-rank mission. Since he's a new comer, I don't have much information on him, but it looks like he has returned from all his missions without even a single scratch."

The rookies couldn't believe the last bit, how could someone return from a mission without being injured or bruised.

'Seems like I found the perfect guy to test my skills against.' Sasuke said to himself.

"This year we have some outstanding Genin competing! Konoha, Suna, Ame, Kusa, Arashi, Taki and Oto have all sent their best. Though to be honest I don't know much about the ones from Otogakure, their village is rather a new and small one." Kabuto told them.

After he said that, three blurs flew through the crowd and aimed towards Kabuto, revealing them to be three Oto ninja. The first one had spikey black hair and a forehead protector styled after the Second Hokage's own headband. The second one was female and had long black hair. But the last one was wrapped in bandages, save for his left eye, and was wearing a large furry coat. Each one had some form of snakeskin on their clothing.

The mummy threw a punch at Kabuto, and he dodged it with a smirk on his face. Until his glasses broke and he vomited on the floor.

"Write this down in your cards, the Oto ninja are going to become Chunin!" the one with spiky hair declared.

A large puff of smoke appeared in the middle of the room catching everyone's attention,

"Quiet down you worthless bastards!" the new ninja said as the smoke dissipated. Behind him stood a few dozen chunin. The man wore a long black trench coat with a Leaf bandanna. There were two scars on his face, one going from right next to his left eye down to his chin, and another going from under the right eye to his neck.

"You Oto ninja in the back! Do you want to get kicked out of these exams before they even begin?!"

"Hehe, sorry, we're just a little jumpy," the mummy dressed ninja said.

The Jonin glared at him before he turned to the rest of the examinees and said, "There will be no fighting in this portion of the exams. I am Ibiki Morino, the proctor for the first exam. Now everyone hand in your forms and the proctors will show you where you will be sitting for the written portion of the Chunin Exams."

Everyone handed in their forms and was shown to their seats. Naruto looked to his right and smiled as he saw Hinata sitting next to him. She smiled back and they wished each other good luck.

"Now, I will explain the rules. Questions will not be allowed." Ibiki said as he began to write on the board. "The first rule is that you will start off with 10 points. The test is made up of 10 questions and each question is worth a point. For every question you get wrong, you lose a point. The second rule is that this is a team test. Your entire team will pass or fail based on a combined score of your team." Everyone on Team 7 knew what this meant. They would be pulling Naruto's dead weight. "Now, the third rule is that every time you are caught cheating, you will lose two points. If you are caught 5 times, your entire team fails. The last rule is that those who lose all their points and those who don't answer any questions correctly, will automatically fail their entire team."

Atsushi raised a brow, Hinata gulped, Sasuke glared while Naruto suddenly felt a wave of killing intent directed towards him.

'Come on I'm not as dumb as I was back at the academy.'

"**At least you admitted that you were dumb."**

'That was before not now.'

[+]

**Later**

All around the room, the people who were realizing the objective of this test began to make their move. Shino had released his insects to gather information while Akamaru was being a look out on Kiba's head and giving him the correct answers. Neji had activated his Byakugan, giving him the ability to see through anyone and look at any test in the room. Hinata was doing the same as her cousin. Sasuke had activated his Sharingan and began copying the movements of someone who looked like they knew what they were doing. Gaara had closed one eye and created a ball of sand that turned into an eyeball that was observing the papers from above. Tenten was manipulating a set of mirrors above her to reveal the answers to her. Lee adjusted his headband to allow him to see the mirrors as well. Shikamaru was using his Shadow Possession Jutsu to connect him and Choji while he wrote down the answers for both of them. Sakura was using her own knowledge to answer the questions, and Ino used her Mind Transfer Jutsu to take over the pinkette and steal her answers. But before she went back to her own body, she messed up Sakura's test. She erased all of her answers and wrote down ridiculous ones, and changed the name on the top to Forehead. When she left and Sakura came back, she looked down and looked like she was about to explode, but a glare from Ibiki silenced her. Naruto had only answered two questions leaving out seven that he needed to fill in; glancing at the person at his left who was writing incredibly fast the Uzumaki came up with an idea.

'But I need a distraction first.' Naruto thought wondering how he will create a distraction big enough to distract everyone.

The answer came in form of a kunai sailing through the air and passing over his head making him freeze then impacting against a desk that was 2 rows behind him.

"Number 47, you've been caught 5 times, you and your teammates 65 and 18 are disqualified," a proctor stated as he stared at the Suna ninja.

"And what proof do you have that I was cheating?" the Genin demanded. A nearby proctor dashed forward and slammed the ninja onto the table while twisting his arm backwards.

"Don't question us! You were making it so obvious, an Academy student could figure it out!" the proctor growled as he forced the Genin to his feet. Seeing that everyone's attention was on the two, Naruto quickly pulled out a smoke bomb and dropped it.

The effect was instantaneous and the entire room was covered in smoke, the proctors immediately scrambled to disperse the smoke screen, windows were opened and the smoke blown out thanks to a wind jutsu. After that was done, a certain Genin glanced down at his answer sheet and found out that only two questions were answered.

'What the hell?'

Meanwhile Naruto were grinning like a mad man as he erased the person's name and wrote down his own on the completely answered test.

Naruto wasn't the only one who made use of the distraction; Atsushi who was seated alongside the Storm trio used the distraction to switch papers with them. Clan members must always help support each other.

"Alright, time's up" Ibiki announced. "Now for the tenth question." By the time Ibiki stopped the clock, only about 121 of 200 Chunin candidates remained.

Everyone who remained looked at Ibiki in anticipation. "Now, for the tenth question, there are a few special rules. First, you must decide whether or not you will take it."

"What do you mean choose?" Temari asked. "What happens if we chose not to?"

"If you chose not to take it, your points will be reduced to zero and your team will fail" Ibiki explained.

"What does that mean? Of course we will take it then!" another test taker stated.

"If you choose to take the tenth question and answer incorrectly, then you will be banned from ever taking the chunin selection exams ever again" Ibiki said, silencing everyone in the room.

"That is a most un-youthful rule!" Lee cried out.

"Yeah, there are people in here who have taken this exam before!" Kiba said as Akamaru barked along with him.

"You guys are unlucky this year," Ibiki coldly said. "This year, I'M in charge of the first exam, so I make the rules. If you don't have the guts to take this question, then I'll be a nice guy and allow you to leave. But remember this, the choice is yours to make, if you want to leave, just raise your hand."

_'I want to become a Chunin and make my family proud, but if I fail then I'll stay a Genin,'_Hinata thought._'But if I quit now, I'll be ruining the exams for Sasuke-san, Atsushi-san and Naruto-kun! I... I... I don't know what to do!'_ She looked around for her teammates, Sasuke had his emo face on so she couldn't tell how he was feeling, Atsushi and Naruto were slightly nervous judging by body language which she became used to over the past months.

"I... can't do it. I'm sorry guys," a Genin said as he slowly stood up.

"Number 54 fails, Numbers 62 and 103 fail as well," a proctor stated as the Genin left the room. Soon after, other Genin began to give up as well, slowly clearing out the room. Naruto looked over and saw Hinata struggling with herself. Even though Hinata had gained a boost in confidence, situations like these would always make her conflict with her old nervous personality.

Seeing her situation, Naruto decided to do something. He raised his hand, much to the other rookies' shock. Then he proceeded to slam it down on his desk as he stood up, a look of determination in his face.

"I don't care if I'll be banned from taking these exams anymore!" Naruto began, "If I give up here and now then it goes against everything I live for! Even if I fail here, I'll just work harder so that the Hokage had no choice but to give me a field promotion! So go ahead, fail me, but know this, I'll never give up on accomplishing my goals!"

Naruto's speech seemed to install confidence into everyone as they seemed to lose their nervousness that they all had.

"I'll ask one last time. This is a decision that could affect the rest of your life. Quit now while you still have the chance."

No one budged, though a few Genin shifted uncomfortably under Ibiki's harsh stares. A few of the proctors nodded at Ibiki as he exchanged glances with them.

"Alright then, good decision. You all pass the first exam!" Ibiki announced to the room, shocking most of them. "I congratulate the 91 of you, the 30 teams that pass."

"WHAT?!" erupted from all over the room.

"What do you mean we pass? What about the 10th question?" Sakura asked, now confused.

Ibiki let out a rare smile. "You could say that your choice was the 10th question."

"Then what was the point of this entire test?" Temari asked, being the second hot-headed kunoichi to lash out.

"They were not pointless. The first 9 questions already served their purpose to test your information gathering skills." Ibiki explained. "This test was designed to put pressure on the entire team as each member would have to not mess it up for their team. However, the questions on this test were much too difficult for most genin to answer alone, so everyone came up to the same conclusion…. you would have to cheat to score. This test was designed to make you cheat, but in order to pass, you could not get caught."

A few of the candidates got the purpose right away. "Now, mixed into the group were a few chunin who had already taken this exam and knew the answers." Some of those sited stood up and waved to the Genin, "This was to help you guys out and to give you accurate information. This is because…" Ibiki said, removing his bandana, only revealing a bunch of scars covering his entire head. "Sometimes, information is more important that life, and on the battlefield people give their lives to acquire such information."

Everyone saw the scars and screw holes on Ibiki's head and cringed a little at the image.

"If the enemy notices you, there is no guarantee the information you obtain will be accurate" Ibiki stated. "Remember this as accurate information can be a powerful weapon for you and your comrades. This is why we had you gather information through cheating. This clearly separated those who did and did not have the right abilities."

"Wait, then what about the 10th question?" Atsushi asked.

"Ah, but the tenth question is the true purpose of this test. The 'take it' or 'not take it' decision" Ibiki paused momentarily. "Let's say you become chunin and your mission is to steal an important enemy document. You don't know the number or skill of the enemy. Do you accept the mission? Because you don't want to die… Because you don't want your comrades hurt? Can you avoid this dangerous mission? The answer is NO!"

Ibiki let out a slight grin. "Those who aren't willing to put their lives on the line, those who cling on to the uncertain future of 'there is always next year', and then walk away from their chance. Those pieces of trash who can only make cowardly choices, don't deserve the right to become chunin. That's how I feel!" Ibiki said. "You have made it through the entrance of the first test, I wish you guys luck."

[+]

**A/N: **That's that. Forest of Death here we come.

Total number of words: 6333 words.

Jamesco1292002


	11. Chapter 11

"Talking"

"Thoughts"

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast talking"**

"**Tailed Beast Thinking"**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**Chapter 11: Forest of Death pt 1**

[+]

*Previously*

"I... can't do it. I'm sorry guys," a Genin said as he slowly stood up.

"Number 54 fails, Numbers 62 and 103 fail as well," a proctor stated as the Genin left the room. Soon after, other Genin began to give up as well, slowly clearing out the room. Naruto looked over and saw Hinata struggling with herself. Even though Hinata had gained a boost in confidence, situations like these would always make her conflict with her old nervous personality.

Seeing her situation, Naruto decided to do something. He raised his hand, much to the rookie 10's shock. Then he proceeded to slam it down on his desk as he stood up, a look of determination in his face.

"I don't care if I'll be banned from taking these exams anymore!" Naruto began, "If I give up here and now then it goes against everything I live for! Even if I fail here, I'll just work harder so that the Hokage had no choice but to give me a field promotion! So go ahead, fail me, but know this, I'll never give up on accomplishing my goals!"

Naruto's speech seemed to install confidence into everyone as they seemed to lose their nervousness that they all had.

"I'll ask one last time. This is a decision that could affect the rest of your life. Quit now while you still have the chance."

No one budged, though a few Genin shifted uncomfortably under Ibiki's harsh stares. A few of the proctors nodded at Ibiki as he exchanged glances with them.

"Alright then, good decision. You all pass the first exam!" Ibiki announced to the room, shocking most of them. "I congratulate the 91 of you, the 30 teams that pass."

"WHAT?!" was erupted from all over the room.

"Wait, then what about the 10th question?" Temari asked.

"Ah, but the tenth question is the true purpose of this test. The 'take it' or 'not take it' decision" Ibiki paused momentarily. "Let's say you become chunin and your mission is to steal an important enemy document. You don't know the number or skill of the enemy. Do you accept the mission? Because you don't want to die…Because you don't want your comrades hurt? Can you avoid this dangerous mission? The answer is NO!"

Ibiki let out a slight grin. "Those who aren't willing to put their lives on the line. Those who cling to the uncertain future of 'there is always next year', and then walk away from their chance. Those pieces of trash who can only make cowardly choices, don't deserve the right to become chunin. That's how I feel!" Ibiki said. "You have made it through the entrance of the first test, I wish you guys luck."

[+]

*Chapter 11 starts now!*

"N-Naruto-kun! We did it!"

"Aah. Yes we did Hinata!"

Suddenly, a black bundle came crashing through the window and a black poster was unraveled on the back wall. Out of the bundle crawled a lady with short purple hair in a ponytail and a mesh shirt underneath her jacket.

"This is no time to be celebrating. It is now time for the second test. I am Anko Mitarashi, the proctor. Now, follow me!" Anko said as Ibiki face palmed himself repeatedly.

"You're early Anko, take a look around," Ibiki said as he came around the banner. Anko then looked around the room and her eyes widened.

"Wow, 91. Ibiki, you're getting soft. The test was way too easy." Anko said to Ibiki.

"Heh, there are a lot of outstanding ones in this batch" Ibiki said.

"Hmph, we'll see. I'll cut the number in half by the time I'm done! Get the next exam location and time from your Jonin-Senseis! We'll be meeting up tomorrow for the next part of the exams!"

[+]

**Next day**

**7:03 AM**

|Training Grounds 44 aka Forest of Death aka Anko's Domain|

"So this is the place your parents said to stay away from?" Atsushi asked.

"I think so. I'm not really sure since they never said what it looked like." Hinata answered.

'Danger! Stay out!' a sign read as the group of remaining candidates stared at the dark forest in front of them.

"Welcome to the stage of the second round of the chunin exams, practice area 44, also known as the 'Forest of Death'" Anko said as a bunch of gulps were heard from the crowd. "Heh, and you'll soon find out why it's called the forest of death."

"This doesn't seem all that bad," Naruto said. Anko on hearing that pulled out a kunai and threw it at Naruto. The kunai grazed blonde's cheek and drew a small line of blood as Anko reappeared behind him with an arm draped around his shoulders.

"Kids like you are quickly killed in here, spraying that red blood that I love so much" Anko whispered as she stuck out her tongue and liked the blood, making Naruto to shiver in fear. Sensing movement behind her, Anko quickly drew another kunai and turned around as a Kusa ninja appeared behind her. Now the weird part about this was that she was holding a kunai... with her freakishly long tongue!

"Your kunai proctor-san," the Kusa Genin said, she was somehow able to talk normally even though her tongue was out.

"Why thank you," Anko said, "however you should be more careful on who you sneak up on, I might just kill you next time."

"My apologies, it's just that the sight of blood always makes me jumpy, not to mention you cut my hair with your kunai as well," the Kusa Genin said as she handed Anko the knife and backed away.

While backing away she sent a spine-chilling smile at Team 7 particularly Sasuke.

"Hmm, looks like we have a lot of blood thirst ones in this test, this will be fun. Now, before we start, you must fill out these waivers."

"Why do we need to fill some waivers?" Kiba asked.

"Because there WILL be deaths in this exam" Anko let loose a cheerful smile, creeping out even more participants. "And we can't have your deaths starting wars and everything. Now, I'm going to explain the rules to this test. Each team will check into that booth behind me. Your team will then receive one scroll. It will either be a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll. Since there are 30 teams here, 15 will get an Earth scroll and 15 will get a Heaven Scroll. In the middle of this area, there is a tower. You are to bring both a Heaven and an Earth scroll to the tower."

"So that's why you said you will cut the group in half" Sasuke said.

"Yes. Now, this area is a dense forest with a river running through the middle. A tower is located at the middle of the area, about 10 km from each side" Anko said, holding up a map of the area. "Around this perimeter, there are 44 locked gates. This will be considered a survival exercise. You may use any weapons or jutsu to complete the task. The only rule is that you cannot open the scrolls until you enter the tower with both scrolls. Other than that, there are no rules and killing is allowed. Also, there is a time limit. The test lasts 120 hours, or 5 days."

"FIVE DAYS?!" Ino exclaimed, wide eyed.

"WHAT ABOUT DINNER?!" Choji roared, shocked.

"You're on your own. The forest is full of food. Just watch out for man-eating beasts, poisonous insects, poisonous plants, etc," Anko said, smiling cruelly. "And fifteen teams passing is not likely. As the days go on, the distance to the goal will become farther, and the time to rest will become shorter. And the area is crawling with enemies. You won't get much sleep. So, not only will some fail by losing the scroll, but some will die from the harshness of the course," she explained, before holding up her hand.

"Now, I'll talk about what will disqualify you." She raised a finger. "First, those that don't make it to the tower with both scrolls within the time limit which is five days." She raised another finger. "Second, those who lose a teammate or those who have a teammate killed. As a rule, there is no quitting in the middle. You will be in the forest for five days, or less, depending on when you get to the tower. And one more rule... You must not look inside the scroll until you make it to the tower."

"What happens if you do?" Sasuke asked out of curiosity, getting a smirk from Anko.

"That will be a surprise for anyone who does. A Chunin will be asked to handle classified information. This is to test your trustworthiness. That's it for the explanations. Exchange the three forms for your scroll, and then choose a gate to get ready for the start," Anko said, before grinning at them all. "A final word of advice... Don't die."

"Well, no shit..." Naruto muttered as the Chunin in the booth covered it with a curtain.

"It's about time to exchange for the scrolls," one of them announced.

"You can't tell which team gets which scroll... or who on the team is carrying it..." Atsushi muttered to his teammates as he stared at the covered booth.

"Yes... Everyone's an enemy... Everyone's determined..." Hinata mumbled nervously.

"Hinata, it'll be alright," Naruto said, putting a hand on Hinata's should and smiling at her. "We're strong, remember? Besides, with your eyes, no one will be able to sneak up on us. We'll always have the advantage." The Hyuga perked up at that.

[+]

"Do you remember our mission?" the mummified Oto ninja asked his teammates.

The spiky haired one grinned and said, "Yep, go in there and kill the Uchiha."

"Just make sure that you don't mess up you baka," the female said as she cleaned her nails with a senbon.

"What did you say bitch!?" the boy snarled as he took a step forward.

"That's enough," the mummy ordered as he grabbed his teammates arm. "Killing each other will only cause us to fail the mission." the boy and girl glared at each other before huffing and turning away.

'It's a shame we have to kill the Uchiha,' The girl said to herself before taking a look at his teammates, 'Maybe I can convince the boys in killing both the Uchiha and the blonde one while keeping the rest as entertainment.' Her sights then settled on a certain member, 'Especially the green one.' She thought while licking her lips a bit.

[+]

"You two know what to do right?" the Kusa Genin with the long tongue asked her teammates.

"Yes, we go after the Genin Team from Arashigakure then subdue and capture them." her teammates replied.

"Goooood."

[+]

"Man, I hope we only run into one team," Shikamaru sighed. "Fighting two of them would be so troublesome."

"Quit being a lazy ass!" Ino scolded. "I just hope we run into Sasuke-kun's team so I can show him that I'm stronger than Billboard Brow."

"Is that Uchiha the only thing on your mind?" Shikamaru asked as he shook his head.

"Who else will be on my mind?"

"Ino, are you sure that getting Sasuke's attention is worth it?" Choji asked. "Don't you remember how he acted in the Academy?"

Ino huffed and said, "He was going through a tough time, with his brother killing his clan and everything."

"Naruto goes through a tough time too," Shikamaru said. "Sure he may have people who care about him now, but I once watched him as he went home and saw how his mood darkened when he went into his empty apartment."

"Why were you watching him?" Choji asked.

"He seemed a little off that day, so I decided to follow him," Shikamaru explained. "It was when I got home that I realized something, it was Mother's Day."

"So?"

"Naruto never celebrates Mother's day."

Ino and Choji didn't reply as they realized why.

[+]

"I hope we run into a youthful opponent inside this forest!" Lee said as he performed one-handed pushups while waiting for the exam to begin.

"I just hope that whoever we run into just gives us the scroll," Tenten muttered as she sharpened a kunai on a nearby rock.

"But Tenten, then we would not be able to show of our youthfulness!" Lee complained.

Neji huffed and turned away. "It doesn't matter who we face, fate will decree us as the winners."

"What if we encounter your cousin's Team?" Tenten asked.

Neji didn't reply.

[+]

"What are the odds of us running into a giant snake?" Kankuro asked.

"Get real, the only one who can summon giant snakes is Orochimaru of the Legendary Sannin," Temari informed him, "and he's over in his new village of Otogakure."

"Well haven't you heard the story of how this forest was made?" Kankuro asked. "They said that the negative energy the First Hokage used changed the animals inside. I'm just guessing as to how they changed."

"It doesn't matter who or what we encounter," Gaara said. "I will prove my existence inside this place." His siblings just paled slightly and kept to a safe distance from their younger brother.

[+]

"So what's the plan?" Banri asked.

"The same as always, we locate a team, get their scroll then move over to tower." Eito replied.

"We should also add avoiding that Kusa Team to the list." Himari said pointing over to a group of Kusa ninja who giving them bloodthirsty looks.

"Ok new plan, locate a team, get their scroll then head over to the tower while avoiding those bloodthirsty opponents."

"Fine by me."

"Roger that Captain."

[+]

"Ok guys we need to appoint a leader…"

"I volunteer." Naruto interrupted.

"Actually Naruto we were thinking of appointing Sasuke as our Leader." Atsushi said as Naruto's expression changed to one of shock.

"What?"

"Looks like my Leadership skills are finally being recognized dobe." Sasuke smugly said.

"Please tell this is a joke?"

"No it isn't."

"B-But why teme?"

"Hinata is going to be our lookout, both of us are in charge of resources which leaves Sasuke to the Leadership role." The Kishida explained.

"Fine." Naruto sighed before facing his rival, "Just make sure you don't lead us into fighting Gaara or I'm taking over."

"Hn."

"Guys it's time to purchase or scroll." Hinata pointed out.

Naruto and his team went to the booth, got a Heaven scroll, and then headed off, ready to enter gate twelve, where an instructor was waiting, unlocking it.

"The second exam begins now!" was suddenly heard in the speakers, and the instructor opened the gate, allowing them to enter, which they did, speeding inside.

[+]

**Sometime later**

|Inside of the Forest|

Three Ame Genin appeared in a clearing.

"Where are they?" One of them asked. "I thought you said that they were here."

"They ARE here, I can sense their chakra in this area," the other one said. The next thing they knew, large leeches' dropped down from the canopy above and began to suck on their chakra. The three Ame Genin cried out and struggled to get them off, but couldn't get them off. Eventually they fell unconscious and the leeches slowly inched their way off.

"That was quick," Sakura commented as she and her teammates walked out of the foliage, "What were those Shino?"

"Leaf jumping leaches, they sense the nearest life sources and attack in groups. After 5 minutes of sucking, you will be dead" Shino said, revealing his knowledge of insects and other insect-like beasts. Kiba approached the unconscious ninja and searched them for a scroll.

"Yes! We got luck Akamaru. They had a Heaven Scroll" Kiba said out of excitement. "Alright guys, now let's get to that tower before trouble comes."

[+]

(With Team 7)

After a couple of minutes of running, a scream was already heard. Team Seven stopped at that. It seemed like at least three people were in a lot of pain.

"That's one team down..." Sasuke muttered, narrowing his eyes. "One scroll lost... Hinata, Who's closest?"

"There's a team about half a click to the north-west. They're the closest, but I wouldn't go for them," Hinata said.

"Why?"

"One of the people on that team has an enormous amount of chakra. Almost as big as Naruto-kun's level, actually…"

"Tch... Is it that Gaara freak?" Sasuke asked.

"No, this chakra is, if possible is even more sinister than Gaara's." Naruto said. The others sent confused looks at him. "What?"

"Naruto-kun since when could you sense chakra?" Hinata asked quite surprised at his analysis.

"Yeah, you never told me about it." Atsushi added, crossing his arms.

"Well, I recently discovered that I had unlocked some of my sensory abilities." Naruto said, after thinking up a reasonable answer.

His teammates seem to buy it as Hinata continued, "I don't sense anyone nearby, so this is probably a good opportunity to sit down and get some strategies down."

Once they had sat down Hinata then said softly "Amegakure ninja thirty-five meters left of Naruto-kun, I see no weapons on him, so it's safe to say he specializes in either Ninjutsu or Genjutsu..."

"Is he alone?" Atsushi whispered back, Naruto checked this time.

"Yes." The Uzumaki answered.

Sasuke turned to Hinata for confirmation and received a nod which said that he was correct. "He's probably waiting for a chance to pick us off one-by-one. He's waiting for us to separate enough to attack... We should get him to come to us."

"I got an idea." Atsushi said before whispering in Naruto's ear. The Uzumaki nodded then faced the Uchiha.

"Come on Sasuke, you're the strategist of the team! Make some damn plans!" Naruto said loudly, as though an entirely different conversation had just taken place, as he got to his feet, scratching the back of his head. "I gotta take a piss. I'll be right back."

With that, Naruto headed off to stand behind a tree, pretending to unzip his pants as he leaned back against the tree. His senses were on high alert, so he could easily sense the Ame ninja moving over towards him.

"Gotcha," he said softly and looked up at the visibly surprised Ame ninja, just in time for a lightning bolt to smash into the ninja, slamming him hard into the tree and knocking him out. Naruto walked over to the unconscious ninja and searched him for an earth scroll before returning back to his teammates.

"Did he have a scroll?" Sasuke asked.

"No." Naruto replied, "His teammates must have it."

"Speaking of his teammates, where are they?" The Kishida asked.

Hinata glanced around with her Byakugan, "I can't find them?"

"Anyway let's move on." Sasuke sighed, leading the way. The rest nodded and followed their leader.

[+]

**An hour later**

"Hinata, is she still following us?" Atsushi asked quietly so that their stalker wouldn't hear him. Hinata nodded in reply then walked over to Naruto and whispered in his ear, the Uzumaki nodded before signaling to Sasuke.

The team came to a clearing and sat down in a circle, "That Kusa ninja is still following us." Hinata muttered.

Atsushi nodded then spoke up this time much louder, "We need a plan. If one of us gets separated, even if it's one of us, don't trust anyone no matter who he/she appears to be."

"Then what will we do?" Hinata asked nervously, thanks to her Byakugan she could see that the Kusa ninja was paying close attention now.

Sasuke put a hand on his chin, thinking up a method they could use to identify themselves, "Me, Hinata and Atsushi have our various dojutsus so we can used that but we will have to make a codeword for Naruto." He suggested.

"That's a good idea as I have thought of a codeword that I could use." Naruto said.

"So what's the codeword Naruto-kun."

"RAMEN!"

Everyone and I mean everyone sweat dropped.

[+]

|Just outside Training Grounds 44|

Screams were coming from within the forest as Anko listened on. "Looks like its starting." She commented with a sadistic glee.

The proctor meanwhile was happily eating her dango and drinking her drink. "Yum, nothing goes better together than dango and alcohol. Once I finish, I think I should head to the tower." She decided as she then took out the stick and threw it at a nearby tree, getting it stuck with a bunch of other dango sticks in the form of the Konoha leaf symbol. "All done." She then got out in satisfaction.

No sooner she said this, a smoke suddenly appeared near her. "Big trouble Anko-sama!" The shinobi announced.

This in turn got Anko's attention. "What happen?" She asked.

"We found bodies! Three of them!" The shinobi quickly reported.

"What's there to worry about that? There was bound to be in this test." Anko stated with a confused tone.

"No! They were found _outside_ of the forest and they were dead before the second test even began!" The shinobi reported. "But that's not the only thing, the bodies are _strange_." He then added, "Anyways, please come!" He soon requested.

"Strange? Besides being dead?" Anko thought to herself, but she still nodded all the same and both disappeared in a smoke.

A few moments later Anko had arrived to the scene where the bodies were located.

"After examining their papers and personal items." One of the shinobis began to explain. "They seem to be the Hidden Grass shinobi who were entered in this exam, but..." He reported as he let the purple haired jonin examined the bodies.

Anko's face however was in total shock at seeing this. "Shit..." She muttered out.

"Their faces are completely ripped off, no more like they were melted off." He concluded.

"There's no mistaking it. This is his jutsu." Anko soon thought to herself with fear and with narrow eyes. "Why is he in this exam!?" She then questioned in her head with in a panicked manner.

Anko then quickly turned to the other shinobis. "Show me the pictures of these three!" She ordered.

"Yes ma!" Another shinobi stated as he did as what he was told, handing the photos to the jonin immediately.

Upon seeing the picture, Anko instantly recognize the faces. "He stole this face… So that time… He already…" She thought as she remembered seeing this face at the gathering. "You guys! Report this to the Hokage-sama immediately!" She ordered with a hint of panic in her voice.

"Huh?" They got out in confusion.

"Send some ANBU captains to the Forest of Death! I'm going after them right now!" Anko declared.

No sooner she said this, Anko rushed directly at the forest and find the intruders.

[+]

(With Team 7)

After memorizing Naruto's codeword the Chunin faithfuls continued their quest when Hinata suddenly stopped walking.

"Everyone get down…" She tried to warn but was interrupted by a huge blast of wind which sent them flying in different directions with Naruto taking the brunt of the attack.

Once the blast had died down, the three dojutsu wielders regrouped back at the cleaning and without wasting time revealed their various dojutsu.

"What about Naruto?"

"Right here guys." The blond yelled as he ran towards them, "And before you ask the codeword is ramen."

Sasuke, Atsushi and Hinata stared at each other before attacking, "Hey! What gives?" Naruto protested as he dodged a thrown kunai then a Gentle fist strike.

"What have you done with the real Naruto-kun?" Hinata growled sending more strikes.

The imposter dodged the strikes before smirking, "So you saw through my disguise." The fake Naruto was suddenly engulfed by smoke, "How clever."

The smoke cleared revealing the Kusa ninja who was wearing a straw hat, on closer inspection they realized that she was the one handed Anko's kunai with his tongue. "I'm curious to how you knew l was fake?"

"Why should we tell you?" Sasuke asked with a Sharingan glare as his teammates prepared for battle.

"Ah the Sharingan, I was just looking for that." The ninja said before removing her straw hat, "Let's have some fun shall we?" She asked before blasting them with her KI.

[+]

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Naruto was on the ground panting slightly.

"That was one hell of a Jutsu." Naruto muttered as he got back up. He stared at the trail of destruction caused by the Jutsu. 'Wasn't that the Great Breakthrough? A Genin couldn't have possibly performed a Jutsu that powerful even I can't.'

His surroundings then got darker, he looked down at the ground to see a larger shadow over him. Naruto looked up and found the biggest snake he had ever seen in his staring down at him.

"**JUMP!"**

Naruto jumped into the air as the snake's tail came crashing down resulting in an explosion of dust, dirt and debris. The snake coiled up and sprung at the blonde, its maw open and ready to swallow. Unable to dodge while airborne Naruto formed some hand seals for a water jutsu.

"Water Style: Severing Torrent!" His cheeks puffed out before expelling a jet of pressured water which sliced the creature right down the middle, causing it to split and miss crashing into Naruto who landed gracefully.

'Well that's over.'

"**Not quite."** Naruto raised a brow in reply.

"**That Snake isn't a normal snake it's a summon," **On cue the snake vanished in a puff of smoke, **"Someone is trying to separate you from your pack." **

'Pack?'

"**It's a fox thing."** Naruto nodded then spread out his senses trying to locate his teammates.

[+]

The other members of Team 7 froze up due to the amount of killing intent radiating from the Kusa ninja. The KI was so dark that they experienced images of their own death.

'This... Isn't a… Genjutsu?' Atsushi thought after trying to dispel it by activating his Sankugan. 'This… is real.'

'Just… Who is this…Girl?' Sasuke thought as he stared wide-eyed at the ninja. He glanced to left and spotted Hinata who had tears streaming down her cheeks while trembling violently. 'This is bad… we have to run… otherwise… we die.'

Seeing them so vulnerable the Kusa ninja chuckled, "You can't move how wonderful."

Sasuke gripped the kunai in his hands tightly, 'I have got… to do… something… I was made the … leader for Kami's sake!' his arm shook with fear but still moved a bit. 'Come on move!'

The Kusa ninja smirked as she raised three kunai then threw them at the three Genin making their eyes to widen in fright.

'Darn it just MOVE!' Sasuke stabbed his thigh then grabbed both of his teammates before dragging them and himself out of the kunai's path. Hinata and Atsushi now out of whether funk they were in, grabbed their wounded teammate and took off into the trees.

The Kusa ninja walked over to the blood splatter that resulted from the stabbing with mild interest before smirking, 'Erasing the feeling of fear with pain how smart of you Sasuke-kun but I didn't expect you to save the others.'

[+]

(With Storm Trio)

Banri and Himari were in the process of tying up two Ame ninja while Eito was keeping an eye out for their teammate.

"Any sign of their teammate?" Banri asked once he was done tying up his captive.

"No, he must have gotten nagged by the competition." Eito replied.

"Anyway these guys do have a scroll but it's the same as ours?" Himari informed after pulling out an Earth scroll.

"We just have to take it and pray that the next team we run into is willing to trade."

"What are the chances of that?"

"Low… very low." Banri mumbled.

"Alright, let's head away from there and try to find another tea-" But before he could say anything else, Eito was forced to dodge as a blast of water impacted where he once was.

"Damn, I missed," A Kusa ninja cursed as he and his teammate appeared.

"I told you you should have aimed it more to the left," His teammate reprimanded him.

"I'm guessing that you're here for our scroll?" Banri asked as he stared at the two Kusa ninja. 'Judging by appearance only I will say their 7 – 8 years older than we are, and at low Jonin level but by the way they attacked I will say that they are definitely idiots.'

"Actually the scroll is a bonus." The leader said smirked, "We are here to capture you."

"Let me guess." Himari said placing a finger on her chin, "You after our bloodline."

"Hehe smart girl, maybe we keep you as entertainment while your friends are dissected." The other said.

"Eww… gross!"

"Can we please skip to the fight?" Banri asked drawing out his tanto, Himari drew out her staff and Eito a Katana.

"Well since you ask kindly… Water Style: Water Bullets!" He spat out several water bullets at the trio who jumped out of the way splitting up into two groups.

"Mekaji, go after the girl the boys are mine." Mekaji nodded and went after the girl, leaving boys to his teammate.

"Ok boys, the name's Shiguri and that the last name you will ever hear." Shiguri said as he focused on the two boys. The boys just stared at the ninja then at each another.

"He's an idiot."

"I was just about to say the same thing."

Shiguri's eye twitched in annoyance, "Are you mocking me?"

"That depends..."

"On whom you ask?"

"Aaarrrgghh."

[+]

"Hehe I get a lovely lady all to myself." Mekaji said as his eyes roamed over the female's body.

Himari resisted the urge to shiver as his eyes landed on her bust. She infused her staff **[1]** with wind chakra then swung downwards releasing a vertical slash which Mekaji easily sidestepped.

"A shame that you've got a bloodline, if not you would have been someone I would consider having my way with," Mekaji sighed as he made several hand seals. "Water Style: Water Sphere!" Mekaji spat out a sphere of water into his hand and threw it at Himari. The Kishida girl used her chakra infused staff as a baseball bat and sent the sphere back to its creator who effortless swatted it away.

"Can you at least make this interesting?" Himari sighed, 'I'm sure the boys are having more fun than I am.'

Mekaji sighted a stream to his left, "If you say so." He began to make a long chain of hand seals, Himari didn't try to stop him as she wanted to see what he will pull off.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Mekaji called as the water began to shift.

"Now that's more like it."

[+]

(With Team 7)

Sure that they had put a lot of distance between them and the crazed ninja, Atsushi and Hinata placed Sasuke against a tree bark and attended to his injury.

"Hinata keep an eye out for either Naruto or that Kusa ninja." The Kishida boy ordered. The Hyuga nodded before activating her Byakugan while Atsushi gently ripped the kunai out of his teammate's thigh earning a grunt in response.

Once done bandaging the wound Atsushi proceeded to asked whether the Uchiha was feeling better but couldn't as the latter placed his hand on the former's mouth while looking for any sign of the Kusa ninja.

"She's after me." Sasuke whispered while trembling with fear, "I can see it in her eyes." Atsushi and Hinata were both shocked and surprised by his reaction, if they could recall they had never seen the Uchiha display such amounts of fear.

The Kishida removed the raven-haired's hand from his mouth then tried to say something but was cut off by Hinata.

"SNAKE!"

Both boys turned around and saw a huge snake coming down on them. They all jumped out of the way with the snake setting its sights on Sasuke. Sasuke's eyes widened as he stared at the eyes of the creature and felt the same killing intent as before. The Uchiha let out a fierce battle cry as he threw eight shurikens at the open maw of the snake with incredible force. The shurikens tore through the snake's head causing it to stop its charge and fall to the ground, covering it in dust.

Their relief was cut short when the scales on the snake tore open and a familiar Kusa ninja popped up.

"You guys shouldn't relax even for the moment as preys should be doing their best to get away from their predator." Her tongue came out of her mouth and licked her lips that combined with the crazed look on her face scared the shit out of the Genin.

"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!" Hinata shouted as she sent a vacuum shell at the ninja. A wall of earth shot up and blocked the attack before crumbling back to the ground revealing the unharmed Kusa ninja. She released a chuckle before taking a step forward only for a kunai to impale the ground right in front of him; the Kusa ninja took a look at the kunai and noticed the explosive tag attached to it.

'Darn it'

**KABOOM!**

The three Genin released breaths they didn't know they were holding at the sight of their predator being engulfed by the explosion.

"Thank you Naruto." Atsushi said as their savior descended from a tree branch.

"You're welc-" Naruto was interrupted by the sounds of laughter coming from the flames.

"Ku ku ku… nice one Naruto-kun, you almost had me." The Kusa ninja stepped out of the flames, her flesh peeling off revealing an appearance completely different from the previous one. The Genin gasped as they recognized who they were up against.

"O-o-o-orochimaru?" Hinata stammered as her body began to tremble.

"Glad to see that the younger generation knows who I am."

If the Genin weren't afraid before they were now, they didn't need to have an IQ of Shikamaru's level to know that their chances of surviving against one of the Legendary Sannin especially the most deranged was practically non-existent.

"Naruto we might need some assistance if you know what I mean." Atsushi whispered.

Naruto nodded at his green-haired teammate before weaving some hand seals.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

The Snake Sannin was intrigued that a Genin could perform the B-rank kinjutsu, 'He must be the vessel that my spies told me about.'

12 clones of Naruto puffed in existence, Orochimaru braced himself thinking that they will attack but they didn't. Hinata and Sasuke caught on what their teammates were planning with the latter tossing a smoke bomb to the ground reducing visibility, once it cleared there were four groups in front of him and each one was Team 7.

[+]

The original Team 7 sprinted far away from the Orochimaru's location, Naruto had originally created 16 shadow clones but 4 were already hidden within the foliage, so when the smoke cloud erupted he and his teammates took off while the hidden clones replaced them.

It was a clever idea but Naruto knew that wouldn't stall the Snake Sannin for long.

"We got to move faster he has already destroyed all my Shadow Clones." Naruto informed after receiving the memory of the last clone.

"Hinata any sign of him?"

"No- Yes he's rapid approaching."

"How much time to we have?" Naruto asked.

"Less than 3 minutes."

"That's not enough time."

"But we have to try something." Atsushi spoke up.

"Try what?" Sasuke asked as he dodged a thrown kunai.

"A collaboration/ combination jutsu… I need you and Naruto to perform the **Firestorm**."

The two boys nodded and began weaving hand seals.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

"Wind Style: Cyclonic Thrust!"

Sasuke turned round and spewed a massive fireball the size of a wagon, Naruto followed suit concentrating wind chakra around his arm before releasing a pressurized stream of wind blades in the form of a horizontal whirlwind. The latter enhanced the former and tore through the dense forest incinerating everything in its path, Orochimaru discovered this late and got burnt to ashes.

Hinata saw this and reported back to the boys, "Guys I think we… Aaargh." She cried in pain as she felt something pierce her side. The Hyuga extracted the Kunai from her side and took a look at it.

'Poison?' was all she could say to herself before collapsing to the ground.

[+]

**A/N: **That's that. Forest of Death pt 2 will be up a week later.

{Recommendations}

**The Wanderers by D4rkn3s5**

The rookie 9, Team Guy and their senseis return from the Chunin exams that were held in Sunagakure to discover that their village Konoha has been….

**Naruto One Man Team by Ackdam**

After graduating from the Academy, Naruto is placed in Team 11 as its sole member. If you love Sasuke, Kiba, Sakura and Council bashing I recommend this.

[1] – Himari's bo staff is 1.5 meters long and made of chakra conducting metal except for the handle which is wrapped with bandages.

Feel free to drops reviews and complaints.

Total number of words: 6222 words.

Jamesco1292002


	12. Chapter 12

"Talking"

"Thoughts"

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast talking"**

"**Tailed Beast Thinking"**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**Chapter 12: Forest of Death pt 2**

[+]

*Previously on Part 1*

The original Team 7 sprinted far away from the Orochimaru's location, Naruto had originally created 16 shadow clones but 4 were already hidden within the foliage, so when the smoke cloud erupted he and his teammates took off while the hidden clones replaced them.

It was a clever idea but Naruto knew that wouldn't stall the Snake Sannin for long.

"We got to move faster he has already destroyed all my Shadow Clones." Naruto informed after receiving the memory of the last clone.

"Hinata any sign of him?"

"No- Yes he's rapid approaching."

"How much time to we have?" Atsushi asked.

"Less than 3 minutes."

"That's not enough time but we have to try."

"Try what?" Sasuke asked as he dodged a thrown kunai.

"A collaboration/ combination jutsu… I need you and Naruto to perform the **Firestorm**."

The two boys nodded and began weaving hand seals.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

"Wind Style: Cyclonic Thrust!"

Sasuke turned round and spewed a massive fireball the size of a wagon, Naruto followed suit concentrating wind chakra around his arm before releasing a pressurized stream of wind blades. The latter enhanced the former and tore through the dense forest incinerating everything in its path, Orochimaru discovered this late and got burnt to ashes.

Hinata saw this and reported back to the boys, "Guys I think we… Aaargh." She cried in pain as she felt something pierce her side. The Hyuga extracted the Kunai from her side and took a look at it.

'Poison?' was all she could say to herself before collapsing to the ground.

[+]

*Part 2 starts here*

(With the Sand siblings)

Gaara stopped at a clearing. Temari and Kankuro stared at their younger brother in surprise.

"Gaara? What's up?" Temari asked cautiously.

Gaara remained silent for a few moments, before turning his head to the left. "We have company."

To Gaara's right, a Genin team from Amegakure appeared out of the brush.

"Look what we have here boys." Shigure, the team leader chuckled. "Little Suna Nin." he smirked. "No worries Little Suna Nin, we only want your scroll. If you give us your scroll now, then we might not hurt you too bad."

Temari rolled her eyes. "How stupid..."

Kankuro smirked. "Can I kill these ninja, Gaara?" He said grabbing onto a large scroll on his back.

Gaara shook his head. "No."

Kankuro frowned. "Why not? It'd love to show them how weak they are compared to us."

"Us? Weak? I think you're delusional." Baiu, one of Shigure's teammates smirked behind his leader. "Oh I don't think we are." Temari chuckled. She saw Gaara take a step forward and smirked. "You guys are in for a real treat. Not everyone gets to be killed by Gaara."

Gaara stayed silent.

The leader chuckled. "I think I'll show you weaklings not to mess with us." Shigure pulled his weaponized umbrella from its holster on his back. "Prepare to die." he smirked before opening his umbrella then throwing it in the air. He performed a hand seal and the umbrella began to spin.

"Ninja Art: Senbon Shower!" The umbrella spun faster and faster until senbon needles rained from it.

Gaara stared uninterested as the senbon needles flew straight for him.

Shigure and his teammates smirked at this. "See?" Shigure chuckled. "He's probably skewered to the-" he froze when he saw Gaara surrounded by a shell of... sand? "What? How is that possible?"

Gaara was standing in a shell of sand that was covered with senbon. He looked bored, though menacing.

"You guys did it now." Kankuro chuckled.

The Genin from Ame all took a step back. "Who... who is this guy?" Midare, the third team member whispered.

The sand shell slowly slithered down to the ground, the senbon dropping with soft clangs. The sand slithered over to the Amegakure team and up their bodies.

"Wh-What is this?!" Baiu cried. He tried swiping at the sand.

Shigure was hitting the sand with his umbrella, but it wasn't doing any good. The sand continued to climb up as the three cried in terror. The sand completely encased their bodies, leaving only their heads exposed.

Gaara lifted his open palm up in the air, lifting the sand encased shinobi in the air.

The Amegakure shinobi stared in horror as they were lifted into the air by the Suna nin.

Temari giggled and waved her hand. "Bye bye."

Gaara closed his fist, making the sand crush the Ame nin. "Sand Burial!"

The sand encased shinobi screamed in agony as their blood painted the ground.

Kankuro chuckled. "What idiots. We tried to warn them."

Gaara turned his head and stared in the eastern direction before narrowing his eyes in the said direction.

Temari noticed her brother was staring off. "Gaara, we should get moving. We're close to the tower."

Gaara stared in the direction for a few moments longer before turning to his siblings. "Let's go."

The Suna team were about to proceed when they felt a blast of demonic chakra which made Temari and Kankuro to tremble in fear. The chakra was similar to the chakra that Gaara emitted when his killing instincts took over him, which was happening right now.

"That chakra! Mother's sand craves for it. I must see who it is and I must have its blood" Gaara said as he darted off towards the source of the demonic presence.

"Should we follow him?" Temari asked, showing concern for her little brother.

"And risk getting involved in whatever that was. No thank you." Kankuro replied.

[+]

(With Team 7)

**Some minutes earlier**

Naruto didn't know what came over him, but the sight of Hinata falling to the ground unconscious and knowing that Orochimaru was responsible for it made him angry then enraged.

"Well look at that, one down three more to go!" the traitorous Sannin chuckled after watching the Hyuga girl fall. "So who's next?"

Naruto's pupils began to take on a red color with narrow slits. His teeth grew into small fangs and his fingers grew claws as the Kyubi's power began to coarse through him forming a tailless cloak. Orochimaru's interest spiked as he watched the boy transform, 'So the Kyubi finally comes out to play?'

"**I'm gonna kill you." **Naruto growled before disappearing into thin air shocking his teammates. The Uzumaki reappeared right in front of the snake sannin, burying a fist into his gut. The Sannin willingly took the hit and almost regretted it as he rocketed backwards before colliding into a tree with a sickening crack.

'Naruto landed a hit?' Sasuke said mentally not believing what he just saw. His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of chuckling.

"Ku ku ku nice effort Naruto-kun." Orochimaru said before crumbling into dirt, surprising those who were still conscious.

'An Earth clone?' They all thought.

Atsushi and Sasuke were immediately on the guard watching each other's backs in case the Snake summoner tried to sneak up on them, Naruto seeing that the Snake master had escaped released an animalistic roar as the chakra cloak took a more fox-like appearance with ears and a tail emerging.

Seeing that the boy was drawing more of the Kyubi's chakra, Orochimaru (The real one) decided to do something about.

"My my my." Orochimaru began jumping down from the branch he was stationed on, "I'm impressed Naruto-kun, 13 years old and you can already handle the Kyubi's power without running amok."

"Kyubi's power? What are you talking about?" Sasuke said glaring at the snake sannin.

"I'm surprised that you don't know about that Sasuke-kun, looks like your teammate has been keeping you in the dark about his special gift." Orochimaru replied while Naruto and Atsushi eyes' widen.

"Keeping me in the dark? Special gift? What exactly does he mean by that Naruto?" Sasuke asked turning to his blond teammate for answers.

'This is bad.' Atsushi thought before glancing at his chakra cloaked friend, 'Why isn't he trying to stop him from telling Sasuke the truth?'

'Why am I not trying to get him to stop?' Naruto said to himself as his chakra cloak slowly faded away.

"**Because you're conflicted." **Kurama answered.

'Why?'

The nine-tailed fox released an exhausted sigh, **"Because a part of you wants the Uchiha to know about me while the other doesn't want him to know about me and now both sides are at a stalemate."**

"Naruto." Sasuke called gaining his attention, "What is he talking about?"

All eyes were now on the Uzumaki that no one noticed the purple energy that emerged on the Snake sannin's right hand.

"Sasuke… I." he began only to feel something slimily binding him, "What?"

"Prepare yourselves." Orochimaru called as his tongue drew the boy close to him, lifting his shirt a bit upwards to reveal his stomach.

"Five Elements Seal!" He declared before slamming the purple colored hand upon the Eight Trigrams Seal locking Naruto's ability to access the Kyubi's chakra.

Naruto let out a cry of pain as he lost consciousness before being tossed over the Sannin's shoulder, landing beside his other unconscious teammate.

'This is bad, no this is very bad.' Atsushi panicked as he began to think of a way to save both himself and his teammates.

'He took him down with one move?' Sasuke thought as he stared at the unconscious form of his teammate, 'He's been toying with us the whole time when he could have easily killed us off within the first 5 seconds!'

Seeing that the problem which was Naruto had been resolved, Orochimaru turned his focus on the two remaining members of Team 7. "And then there were two." He said smiling at the panicked/ fearfully expressions on their faces.

However the Snake master suddenly replaced his cheerful expression with a serious one, "Don't you want power Sasuke-kun?"

"Huh?" was Sasuke's intelligent reply.

"I can give you the power required to defeat Itachi."

Both boys gained shocked expressions on their faces but Orochimaru wasn't done yet, "In order to receive this power all you have to do is to join me Sasuke-kun, join me and together we will accomplish incredible things."

The Uchiha remained silent as he contemplated the offer.

'Yes that it Sasuke-kun/ No, please say no.' the Sannin/ Kishida thought after seeing that Sasuke was actually contemplating the offer.

Seconds later his decision was made.

"I don't need you power." Sasuke growled out much to the Sannin's ire and his teammate's relief. "I will defeat Itachi on my own!"

"Foolish child but no worries you will soon seek me out for my power after I have given you a little gift." The Sannin then made a hand seal as his neck shot towards the duo only to be interrupted by…

'A wall of sand!' the three thought in unison before a certain red-haired made revealed himself.

"The Uchiha and Uzumaki are mine and no one else! **SAND SHURIKEN!" **Gaara called sending a multitude of sand projectiles which the snake sannin barely managed to dodge.

_'Damn, I won't be to able to get to mark Sasuke now. Oh well, I'm sure I can think of a way to get him_.'

As the Sannin was about to cut his losses and retreat, Atsushi turned to his raven-haired teammate.

"Sasuke?"

"Yea."

"I think this will be a good time to grab our teammates and run."

"I totally agree but there is something you failed to consider."

"What's that?"

"We are struck to the ground." The Kishida blinked then stared at his feet and noticed that they were encased in sand.

"Darn it!"

[+]

The snake sannin finally cut his losses and fled the scene, with that solved Gaara turned to his conscious captives and flashed them a maniacal grin which resulted in shivers running down their spines.

"Blood… Mother wants your blood and I aim to give it to her!" More shivers went down their spines.

Gaara slowly stretched his hand towards them when…

"Rakurai: Rapid Fire!" Atsushi's hands became a blur as he shot out numerous lightning bullets, unfortunately Gaara's sand shot up encasing him in a cocoon.

"Is that the best you got?" The maniacal kid asked emotionlessly after his sand cocoon broke up.

"Fire Style: Grand Incineration!" Sasuke used up a large amount of his remaining chakra and unleashed a very high-powered amount of fire chakra from his mouth into a single fireball, the overpowered fireball smashed into another wall of sand superheating it into glass.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"You know that didn't get him."

"You don't have to rub it in."

The glass wall was shattered by a sand shockwave before the Suna boy prepared his next attack…

"Sand Shuriken!"

The two boys braced themselves for impact when…

"Wind Style: Lion's Roar!" Naruto appeared before them and unleashes a powerful blast of wind equivalent to the roars of a 1000 lions, the shockwave disintegrated the sand projectiles before plowing Gaara through the dense forest.

Sasuke and Atsushi stared at their blonde teammate then the path of destruction created by his jutsu and back, this continued for another five seconds before Naruto crumbled to ground returning back to his state of unconscious.

[+]

**Some hours later**

After Gaara was sent flying by our resident blond, Atsushi and Sasuke grabbed their unconscious teammates and seeked out shelter. Lucky they found a suitable cave which wasn't occurred by any wild beast and moved in, they nursed their respective injuries and those of their teammates who still hadn't awaken. It turned out that Hinata was subjected to a knock out agent while Naruto… well the two couldn't really identity what was exactly wrong with him except that it had something to do with his chakra.

Speaking of chakra…

"Atsushi?"

"Yes?"

"Did you know?" Sasuke asked glancing at his unconscious blond teammate.

'No use denying it now.' Atsushi sighed, "I was told on the day we took the Genin exams."

"But that was 5 months ago."

"Yes and before you ask I couldn't tell you or Hinata because it's an SS-rank secret punishable by death." Atsushi explained with the Uchiha nodding in reply.

Uncomfortable silence loomed…

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Sooo…" The Kishida begin, "That move Grand Incineration… Where did you learn that?" he asked.

"The Uchiha Jutsu Library, it uses up the chakra worth of 5 Great fireballs and leaves me pretty much tired."

"Wow…"

"Yeah, what about your move Rakurai: Rapid Fire?"

"Oh, I was saving that for the finals but as you can see…"

"I know the feeling." Sasuke interrupted, "Anyway how long will they be out?" he gestured to their still unconscious teammates.

"A few hours… I hope." The greenette answered.

"Then we will be struck here for a while."

"Looks like it."

"…"

"…"

"I will start the fire."

"I will begin the first watch."

[+]

|Elsewhere in the forest|

Anko dashed through the forest as fast as she possibly could. Her face was of one of fear and concern. "It's almost nightfall..." She thought to herself. "I must find him quickly; once it gets totally dark I will be at a further disadvantage..." She added.

The older kunoichi narrow her eyes with anger. "But why is he here at a time like this? What is his purpose?" She asked herself once more in confusion. "Well it makes no difference if you have come to this village, then we will settle things now." She stated.

Anko then began to run even faster than before. "You are now an S-Rank missing shinobi." She thought to herself as images of a man with a snake appeared in her mind. "I must stop you even if it cost me my life and if that's not possible." She declared with resolve.

Stopping on a tree branch, Anko remain crouching down. "I must slow you down until the Anbu arrives." She thought to herself with determination.

Then the older kunoichi began to stand up. "I learned everything from you… I was one of your men... and thus..." She then thought to herself. "... that is my job, right Orochimaru?" She declared vocally as she narrowed her eyes.

Right behind the very tree branch Anko was standing on, the man in question was somehow fused with the tree trunk as he looked at the woman. "That's not possible." Orochimaru declared with amusement.

Anko closed her eyes as Orochimaru remain motionless, still melded to the tree. Then the kunoichi jumped as high as possible while taking out a handful of senbons from within her jacket.

Before Anko could throw them however, Orochimaru simple raised his chin as his tongue began to move on the inside of his mouth. Next thing Anko saw was the S rank criminal actually extended his tongue in an inhuman manner.

The tongue had grabbed the hand where Anko had her senbons. This forced Anko to drop them and land to another tree branch.

"You won't get away Striking Shadow Snake!" Anko screamed in her mind as many snakes came out of her jacket while they wrap and bit on the tongue.

Once she had a good hold on his tongue, Anko used every ounce of her strength to pull Orochimaru right off the tree and slam him to the one she was in, leaving a massive cracks on it.

However Orochimaru didn't look fazed as he began to dashed towards her and slamming into her to the trunk of the tree.

Thinking quickly, Anko used her left hand to grabbed Orochimaru's right hand and throw him to the bark while taking kunai from her right sleeve. Then in a manner of sacrificial move, she stabbed the same hand that held Orochimaru's to hold him in place.

Anko resisted both the pain and the urge to scream, then she looked straight at the eyes of Orochimaru's with a smirk on her face. "Hehe, caught you." She declared as she then used her right hand to fold his left while making a strange hand seal. "I'm going to borrow your left hand Orochimaru." She declared.

"This seal." Orochimaru got out as he instantly recognized the hand seal.

Anko smirked evilly. "You and I will both die." She declared as she closed her eyes to prepare her suicidal jutsu. "Ninja Art: Double Snake Assassination-"

"Planning to commit suicide?" The voice of Orochimaru declared from a distance away.

Anko's eyes widen for a moment from realized what had just happened, "A Shadow Clone huh?" She said in a calm manner as the Orochimaru in front of her dispersed itself.

"Correct Anko-chan." The Sannin answered before making a hand seal.

Anko flinched and fell in her to her knees while holding her neck in agony. "Why are you here?" She asked through her pain. 'This fucking curse mark again.'

"It's really simple, I surprised that you haven't thought of it yet."

Anko's eyes immediately widen when she realized who he was after, "You bastard…"

"Now now no need for any insults."

"And why is that?"

"Because I haven't marked him… yet but soon or later he will be mine." He waited for her to calm down a bit, "So please don't stop this exam prematurely and if you try to stop my enjoyment…" He continued as he began to melt into a tree branch, "Konoha will burn!" After than he completely vanished learning a cursing Anko behind.

[+]

**Morning**

Hinata's eyes slowly began to open as she woke up inside… a cave. The girl tried to recall what occurred before she fell unconscious but came up with a blank.

"I hope you had a good night's rest."

Hinata turned in the direction of the voice ad spotted Sasuke leaning against the cave wall, he seemed to have been watching over her.

"Sasuke what happened?" She asked slightly confused.

The Uchiha raised a brow, "You mean you don't remember?" he received a negative nod, "Well while we were fleeing from Orochimaru you were knocked out by one of his sleeping agents."

That made her remember the fight, concerned she asked. "Are…"

"Atsushi and I are fine, Naruto…" He paused before glancing at where the unconscious boy lay, "Is still unconscious."

Hinata blinked then rushed over to blond and began checking his vitals, the Hyuga activated her Byakugan before releasing a gasp as she discovered out what's wrong with him. 'This seal wasn't here the last time I checked, what happened after I was knocked out?' She focused her Byakugan on the seal and noticed a mass of red chakra surrounding the seal, 'This chakra is the same one that Naruto-kun displayed at Wave.'

Hearing her gasp Sasuke drew closer, "Find anything?" he asked.

The blue-haired Hyuga nodded, "There is a seal that is preventing him from molding chakra."

"The Five Elements Seal."

"Huh?"

"After seeing you fall Naruto suddenly became angry and called upon his special ability." Sasuke didn't want to tell her about the Kyubi yet.

"Then Orochimaru distracted us before slamming that seal onto his gut." Atsushi's voice rang out from the cave's entrance.

As the Kishida entered the cave, Sasuke saw the look on his face and knew that something was up, "Something wrong?"

"Yes, we got company and not the good kind."

[+]

Sasuke walked out of the cave like tree and into the open, "You can stop hiding now." The Uchiha said loudly, hearing this three enemy genin saw no use in hiding and came out.

"H-how are you up?" the one with black Kakashi-like hair said (Zaku). "I thought the mark Orochimaru gave you should have put you in too much discomfort to fight, if not killed you!"

"What mark?" asked a very confused Sasuke as Hinata and Atsushi appeared beside him. They also wanted to know about this mark the Sound ninja were talking about.

"What do you mean… what mark? The curse mark that should be on the back of your neck" their leader (Dosu) said.

Some seconds later, the boys recalled when Orochimaru's head was traveling towards them, but was stopped by Gaara's sand.

"There is no mark, your boss never gave me a curse mark." Sasuke pointed out. Hinata didn't quite get where this was going and Atsushi was confused at why Orochimaru sent a Genin team after them.

"So Orochimaru-sama failed?" the girl (Kin) asked suddenly not feeling very confident about their mission. "Something is definitely wrong here..." She then muttered to her teammates.

Zaku then began to chuckle as he prepared himself without a care in the world. "Doesn't matter in the end, once we finish up the rest, we can kill Sasuke." He remarked with confidence.

Dosu also prepared himself as he looked at the Uchiha. "Exactly, it's time to kill this brat."

On hearing her teammates' decisions, Kin didn't like this plan anymore, but she was still had to follow the other two or risk getting herself killed for betrayal.

"Alright, Kin, you take care of the girl." Dosu ordered the female teammate.

Kin nodded in response to that. "Got it." She responded as she took a look at Hinata who had assumed the Gentle fist stance. 'This is going to be a tough fight.'

Dosu extended his right arm out and charged straight at Sasuke while Zaku pointed his palms at Atsushi.

"Bring it on loser!" Sasuke roared as he got into his inspector fist stance.

"Alright greenie, time to die." Zaku remarked with a smirk as he then pointed the palms of his hands at said Kishida. "Decapitating Airwaves!" He then roared as high-pressured air blast suddenly came from out of device on his hands.

Atsushi's eyes widen at this. "Shit!" He cursed at the incoming attack, he knew that the attack was too quick for him to dodge or used a substitution, so thinking quickly, "Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

The attack had made impact with the poorly made wall and broke through, lucky the wall absorbed much of the jutsu but the Kishida was still sent skidding backwards by the jutsu. 'Still haven't got the hand of that Earth Jutsu.' Atsushi thought as he got back up.

Zaku let out a grunt of annoyance at this, "That won't stop me from killing you!" He announced before revealing the holes in his palms.

[+]

(Meanwhile with Sasuke and Dosu)

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" the Uchiha called out spewing a fireball.

"Resonating Echo Shockwave!" The Sound Genin slammed both melody gauntlets together, producing a sound blast which expanded forwards.

Both attacks canceled out each other in a fiery display of ash and cinders, deciding to use the smoke as a cover Dosu rushed into it with hopes of locating and catching Sasuke off guard. He arrived at the other side and located no Uchiha, "Where did he…"

"Moeruken (Flaming Fist): Explosive Shot!" Dosu was interrupted by punch then a miniature explosion to his back which sent him shooting forward before crashing into the ground, the sound user immediately got up to his feet but whined at the burning sensation on his back. Dosu looked up at his opponent and noticed that his fist appeared to be covered in flames but by the expression on his face it didn't hurt.

"Moeruken: Body Flare Armor!" Reddish flames ignited off Sasuke's body engulfing him in a fire cloak, Dosu look on with an expression of awe and slight fear before the Uchiha charged on.

[+]

|Elsewhere in the forest|

"Man! What a jerk!" A female voice screamed out in annoyance.

The screaming voice of a very annoyed Ino echoed through the forest. Team 10 had encountered Neji and after a pathetic attempt of the girl trying to flirt with him, they quickly made to retreat when the action annoyed said boy.

"How dare he ignore my beauty!" Ino then ranted with her hand balled into a fist.

Shikamaru meanwhile groaned to the complaining from his teammate. "Troublesome... I knew that wouldn't work." He grumbled out.

"Well we are in the middle of the exam, we should focus on getting the scroll we need." Choji reminded as he then looked off into the distance. "Like Sasuke over there fighting that Oto Genin." He soon added as he pointed a finger in a specific direction.

That caught Ino's attention as she ran in the said direction, her teammates mumbled something along the lines of girls abandoning whatever they were doing if Sasuke was spotted elsewhere.

[+]

(Kin vs. Hinata)

"Lightning Style: Lightning Senbon!" Kin spent a cluster of her lightning coated senbon towards her opponent.

"Fuzen Kaiten!" A semi-circular dome of chakra deflected the attack away from the Hyuga towards her left.

Kin wasn't having an easy fight, her genjutsu were useless against a Hyuga and Hinata was deflecting or dodging her senbons with such flexibility that it looked like she wasn't even trying. Oh how much Kin regretted accepting this mission.

Hinata on the other hand was dominating against her opponent, after learning that they were here to finish up what Orochimaru started she was determined not to let that happen.

"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!" She called blasting her opponent against a tree bark, disorienting her. Hinata wasted no time and moved in for the finish.

"Eight Trigrams: 32 Palms!"

[+]

(Zaku vs. Atsushi)

Among all the members of Team 7 it looked like Atsushi was given the most difficult opponent, his lightning attacks were neutralized by Zaku's air blasts, the Kishida couldn't get close enough to engage him in taijutsu without being blasted by a Decapitating Airwave and lastly he couldn't use any water jutsu due to the absence of a water source. So the Kishida patiently waited for his spiked opponent to make a wrong move.

Zaku's face, though it was clearly tired, was beyond mad with rage from having someone making him seem like an idiot, his opponent has stopped fighting a while back and was dodging his wind blasts left, right and centre making him to waste a lot of his chakra already.

"Well then punk," He started with an enraged tone as he reached for his pocket and pulled out a dark purple pill that was glowing.

"Huh?" Atsushi muttered in confusion at the sight of the pill.

"It's time to end this!" Zaku stated as he put the pill in his mouth and swallowed it.

At that moment, his entire body then began to convulse, dark purple chakra wafting off of his body but focusing more on his hands.

[+]

|Naruto's Mindscape|

"**Almost there… Almost there." **Kurama grunted as he poured more of his chakra into the seal, causing it to corrode.** "I just need a few more minutes!"**

[+]

"What in the world?" Atsushi said as he felt waves of foul chakra flowing out of the spiky-haired Sound Genin.

"What's… going on?" Sasuke panted out as he stood over the unconscious and partially burnt figure of Dosu. The Moeruken (Flaming Fist): Body Flare Armor used up a good chunk of his chakra and his reserves hadn't quite filled back up since the battle against Orochimaru.

However what Sasuke failed to note was that his opponent wasn't really unconscious just severely tired and in pain but conscious, 'Zaku makes a good point… Orochimaru-sama's pill should help turn the tables.' Dosu thought reaching into his pouch.

With that he popped a pill into his mouth, seconds later he witnessed a transform similar to Zaku.

"Are you guys' nuts?" Kin got out as she watched her teammates transform into vile monsters, 'How could they consume experimental pills like that?' The girl tried to crawl her way to safety but Hinata's last attack caused her a lot of pain.

Zaku and Dosu howled in pain as their skin began to take a reddish-brown tint that added with the fact that their muscles seemed to triple in size as the pill begun its work, Team 7 and Kin knew that they were in big trouble.

Lucky help arrived…

"Leaf Hurricane!" A eccentric voice got out as suddenly.

The two Oto genin were forced back by a familiar green spandex wearing shinobi.

"It would be unwise to continue this, leave now or else I, Rock Lee the Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha will be forced to attack back for attempting to hurt a fellow comrade." Lee declared as he took a battle stance.

"Lee?"

"Fear not my youthful friends; for I Rock Lee shall defeat this vile monster." Lee pointed at Dosu, "While you guys handle the other."

"Lee-san shouldn't we…"

"Dynamic Entry!" Lee called out jump-kicking Dosu in face. Hinata blinked then turned to Atsushi who then shrugged before offering a solider pill to Sasuke, the Uchiha nodded as he ingested the pill.

"You heard the weirdo." Sasuke began now in leader mode as he felt his reserves building back up, "Hinata try to draw his fire while me and Atsushi prepare a combo."

"Sasuke you sure?" Atsushi asked warily, "You aren't that adept with lightning jutsu yet."

"Heh I'll manage, now Hinata go."

Hinata nodded before sprinting off towards the abomination that was Zaku.

[+]

|Within the bushes|

The three members of Team 10 eyes widen as they watched the intense battle between the two groups.

"So Ino what do you us to do now?" Shikamaru asked.

Ino gulped as watched the speed Lee displayed as he dodged each and every one of Dosu's attacks and punches.

"Ino?"

"Eh?" Ino got out in confusion.

"Should we leave or help out?" Choji asked.

"Maybe we should just watch for now." She replied as she watched Lee unravel his bandages before vanishing in a blur, the green beast reappeared in front of monstrous Dosu then crouch down and smashed his foot into his opponent's chin sending him airborne. Lee appeared before the monstrosity that was Dosu and wrapped him in bandages, once that was done he grabbed his opponent and spun.

"Primary Lotus!" Lee cried as the two hit the ground…

**BOOOMMM!**

Creating an explosive cloud of dust, debris and smoke. Lee landed just outside the impact zone, breathing heavily, as everyone saw the motionless and unconscious Dosu in the crater.

"… well that's gonna leave a mark."

"A very nasty one."

[+]

(With the rest)

Kin had already passed out thanks to all the pressure and KI being produced or what was she was hit by one of Zaku's Zankuhas? Anyway no need to worry about her now.

Zaku well…

The spiked-haired genin at this point had completely lost himself to the power of the pill, he couldn't make complete sentences now and his attacks were completely random. Despite this Hinata was still keeping that monstrosity at bay while her teammates prepared their combo attack, the Hyuga had initially tried to seal off his chakra but it wasn't quite working so she went defensive and her Fuzen Kaiten worked perfectly against his Zankuhas.

Atsushi and Sasuke were almost done with their combo when a crimson blur rushed out of the cave and smashed a fist into Zaku making him sliding backwards as blood and teeth flew out from impact.

[+]

|Not far from the fight|

**TAP! TAP!**

At that moment, Neji and Tenten soon landed near the battlefield and when they saw what was taking place, their eyes widen from shocked.

"What the…? What in the world is going on here?" Tenten go out as she didn't believe what her eyes were seeing.

Neji quickly activated his Byakugan so that he could analyze the situation, only to go wide-eyed at what he saw. "H-How?" He got out in shock and disbelief.

Upon hearing the tone of her teammate, Tenten turned towards him in concern. "Neji? What wrong? What the heck is attacking that freak?" She asked, but she got no response since her teammate was speechless.

[+]

(With the rest)

The crimson blur wasn't done as it started to move around the Sound genin, so fast that it looked like streaks of lightning.

As this was happening a thought came to the members of Team 7

'Is that Naruto?'

The team and the rest of the Genin watched as the Naruto pounded Zaku into a bloody pulp, but didn't kill him as he fell unconscious from the damage his body received both from the Uzumaki and the pill.

Once sure that his opponent was down, Naruto's red aura disappeared as he searched Zaku for a scroll.

After a minute, "Hey Guys they have an Earth Scroll!" Naruto announced before turning around to view his still stupefied teammates.

"Umm… is something on my face?"

[+]

**A/N: **So sorry for the long delay, it been over a month since I last posted and I'm very sorry about that. The truth is that I got lost on the path of inspiration and I was kinda occupied by some other things.

Anyway the next chapter will finish up where this one stopped.

It is come to my attention that some of you guys think that Atsushi is the strongest member of Team 7, just to clear up this fact: Atsushi is not and will not be the strongest member of the Team, so please flush out such thoughts from your minds.

I hope the past 4 weeks has been pleasant? If not then next week shall be.

Next Chapter: Some Answers

Total number of words: 5896 words.

Jamesco1292002


	13. Chapter 13

"Talking"

"Thoughts"

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast talking"**

"**Tailed Beast Thinking"**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**Chapter 13: Some Answers**

[+]

*Previously*

The team and the rest of the Genin watched as the Naruto pounded Zaku into a bloody pulp, but didn't kill him as he fell unconscious from the damage his body received both from the Uzumaki and the pill.

Once sure that his opponent was down, Naruto's red aura disappeared as he searched Zaku for a scroll.

After a minute, "Hey Guys they have an Earth Scroll!" Naruto announced before turning around to view his still stupefied teammates.

"Umm… is something on my face?"

[+]

*And we continue*

The males of Team 7 face palmed after hearing… no scratch that… almost everyone present face palmed after hearing that.

"You took down that thing in less than 15 seconds and you go spoil the mood by saying… anyway welcome back to the land of living." Atsushi said with a sigh.

"Sorry about that-" Naruto paused before glancing around, "Ah, you five can come out now." Naruto called out to the surrounding forest.

Team 10 awkwardly stumbled out of the bushes; Tenten stepped out still staring at Naruto in disbelief while Neji stared on with a calculative gaze.

"Naruto… umm we were just stopping by." Ino nervously said.

"Okay."

"H-hey Naruto when'd you get so strong?" Choji asked hesitantly.

Naruto shrugged. "I honestly don't know."

Lee who had been surprisingly quiet all through the whole exhibition spoke next, "Yosh! Naruto-kun that was an incredible display of your flames of youth! Please fight me next!"

The blonde was about to reply but then recalled what happened to Sasuke, "Hehe… maybe when the exams are over."

"Tenten, Lee we should get going." Neji spoke up gaining his teammates' attention. The Hyuga's eye then wandered until they settled on Hinata before turning into a glare. The girl become immediately became uncomfortable under said gaze, Naruto noticed this and glared back at Neji but the Hyuga merely raised a brow and then jumped away.

"Ah! Hey Neji! Wait for us!" Tenten yelled before jumping away after him.

"Yosh! Until next time Naruto-kun!" Lee gave a big thumb up and a sparkling smile before he too vanished into the trees.

Seeing that Naruto had taken care of Team 9, Sasuke turned to Team 10. "You need anything?"

Ino sent a flirtatious smile at the Uchiha, "You wouldn't have an Earth scroll that you spare, hmm?"

Sasuke regretted asking.

[+]

|Elsewhere|

The Storm trio was busy dashing through the forest cautiously while searching for an enemy team.

"It's been over an entire day since we battled against those Kusa 'Genin' and we haven't spotted at least one team." Banri whined before Himari basked him on the head with her bo-staff.

Eito chucked as he watched the two, "On the bright side no one has spotted us too."

"But still."

"Maybe we wandered into an-" Himari was interrupted by a loud scream which came from close by. "Did you hear that?"

"We should go investigate." Eito said.

"And if it's a trap?" Himari asked.

"That's why we should move with caution." Banri answered, with that said the three gripped their weapons and headed towards the direction of the scream.

[+]

**Some minutes earlier**

Once Team 10 were sent on their way Naruto felt the questioning eyes of his teammates on him, sighing the Uzumaki turned around to address the problem.

"I know that I have some explaining to do especially to both Hinata and Sasuke."

"You omitted Atsushi, Naruto-kun." Hinata pointed out which made Sasuke sigh.

"That's because Atsushi already knows what he's talking." Hinata turned to the Kishida who nodded scratching his head in embarrassment.

"Em… Sorry but we weren't sure you two were ready to handle the truth."

The Uchiha snorted while Hinata became more confused, "What truth?"

"The truth that I'm-" Naruto was interrupted by a loud scream, "What was that?"

"Hold on a minute, let me check," Hinata said as she activated her Byakugan. Looking around, she soon located the source of the scream.

"There's a Kusa Genin about 27 meters from here and is being attacked by a wild boar."

"Are her teammates around?" Atsushi asked.

"No and she appears to be injured." Hinata answered.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go help!" Naruto said.

"You sure this isn't a trap," Sasuke asked the Hyuga.

Hinata shook her head, "There is nothing suspicious in the area so this can't be a trap."

With no further arguments, the Team 7 leapt into the trees.

[+]

|Elsewhere|

The Arashigakure genin were hidden among the trees as they observed the situation before them. They had come upon a Kusa kunoichi and saw that she was backed against a tree while clutching a scroll as a large boar stalked towards her.

"Ok Himari you know what to do." Eito said, the female nodded before channeling some lightning to her bo-staff.

They didn't know that someone else had the same idea.

[+]

(Team 7)

"Ok Hinata now seems like the perfect time to test that jutsu we have been working on." Naruto said to female teammate, Hinata nodded before coating her hand in chakra giving it a whitish glow.

'He never told me that he was helping her with a justu.' Atsushi thought as he and Sasuke paid close attention to what Hinata was doing.

Sure that she had gathered enough chakra on her palms, Hinata clapped hands together before slowly separating them.

A ball of white chakra began to form between them.

Hinata continued to part her hands as the ball grew between them, once the chakra ball had attained the size of a softball the Hyuga stopped and glanced at her blond teammate, Naruto nodded then pointed at the boar.

Hinata nodded and aimed the ball at the target not knowing that someone else was also aiming for her target.

[+]

"Lightning Style: Thunder Spear!"

"Eight Trigrams: Chakra Bomb!"

Just as the Lightning coated staff shot out of Himari's hand, the chakra bullet shot out of Hinata's.

The Spear impaled the boar on its right side almost causing it to cry out in pain before the chakra bomb collided with its left and exploded, the boar died instantly from both attacks.

The Kusa kuniochi blinked in confusion at what just happened and trust me she wasn't the only one.

"Is it just me or did you guys see that?" Banri asked.

"Someone is coming out." Himari pointed out, "Wait isn't that Atsushi?"

"Banri, Eito and Himari it's ok to come out, we aren't here to fight." The Kishida on Team 7 announced as he and his teammates stepped out of the bushes.

Seeing that they have been discovered the three jumped out and joined the Konoha Genin, "How did you know that it was us?" Eito asked curiously.

Atsushi pointed at Hinata, "After launching her attack she activated her byakugan and told me your descriptions."

"Wait… so that white ball thingy came from her?" Himari asked staring at the Hyuga who was now blushing thanks to all the attention being on her, "Damn, that was awesome."

"Why thank you." Hinata said trying to suppress her blush.

"Anyway." Sasuke spoke up, "How did you-"

"We heard a scream and decided to investigate." Banri answered before the Uchiha could ask.

Naruto on the other hand went for the Kusa kunoichi, "Yo." He greeted.

"Take the scroll! Just don't hurt me!" the girl cried as she thrusted her scroll forward.

"I don't want your scroll and we already have a Heaven scroll."

"Did someone say Heaven scroll?" Eito said, the question catching everyone's attention especially his teammates as their eyes handed on the Heaven scroll that the red-haired had.

Seeing them eyeing the scroll, the girl immediately tossed it at Storm genin, "Here take it just leave me alone." She cried.

Banri caught the scroll before turning to his teammates, "So what now?"

Naruto answered, "You guys head over to the tower."

"You aren't going to hurt her, are you?" Himari asked concerned for the girl.

"Why would I want to hurt someone from the same clan as I."

"WHAT?" The rest of team 7 chorused.

"You are an Uzumaki? But I thought I was the last one?" the Kusa kunoichi wondered.

"I think that's our cue to leave." Eito said with his teammates nodding in reply, the three soon left heading towards the tower.

"After I read up on how our clan was destroyed I thought that too." Naruto answered.

"Read up? Didn't your parents tell you and how come your hair isn't red?" the girl asked.

"My parents died the day I was born and my father's genes are apparently stronger than my mother's." The blonde answered.

"Naruto-kun does that mean you know who your parents are?" Hinata asked softly.

The blonde nodded, "Yes but I will tell you all once we are in the tower," He turned to his clan member and introduced him, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, so what's your name?"

"Karin." She answered. Naruto turned to his teammates who picked up the memo.

"Atsushi Kishida."

"I'm Hinata Hyuga."

"Sasuke Uchiha."

"So Karin." Naruto began, "Wanna join Konoha?"

"But then I will become a missing-nin?" Karin pointed out.

"Not actually." Sasuke spoke up.

"Huh?" The Uchiha rolled his eyes at both Uzumakis.

"We are inside the Forest of Death in a survival test. Kusa will most likely think that you and your team perished inside here and they will eventually forget about you, allowing you to live a life here without fear of being discovered."

"That actually sounds like a good idea!" Naruto said with a large grin.

"What about your teammates?" Hinata said.

"Those bastards died against some angry Suna guy with a gourd," Karin said, "I told them that he was too strong for them but they didn't listen."

"Did he have dark red hair and black rings surrounding the eyes?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes."

"So they must have encountered Gaara after Naruto sent him flying." Atsushi muttered.

"You know the guy?!" Karin screamed.

"Yeah we met before the first exam, blood-thirsty fellow."

"You're telling me."

"But I don't remember sending him flying though." Naruto said, "The last thing I remember was Orochimaru slamming my gut."

"You mean that you don't remember using a wind jutsu to send him flying? You practically saved Sasuke and I from that maniac!" Atsushi almost yelled.

"Sorry but I'm coming up with a blank."

Sasuke sighed, "Forget it, the dobe isn't going to remember and we should probably be heading to the tower." He turned to Karin, "Can you walk?"

"No, I sprained my ankle." She replied.

"Then you need to be carried." The Uchiha said.

"I can help with that," The male Uzumaki made a hand seal, "Shadow clone Jutsu!" Two clones of Naruto puffed into existence and carried Karin.

"Hey watch the ankle." The red-haired protested.

"Yeah yeah."The clone grumbled.

"Ok Naruto and Hinata in the front, Karin and the clones in the middle then I and Atsushi in the back." Sasuke ordered, "Hinata make sure that your byakugan is active until we arrive at the tower, we can't afford to be ambushed.

Once in formation, Team 7 and Karin set out.

[+]

**An hour later**

|Central Tower|

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Naruto asked.

"I think we have to open the scrolls," Hinata said.

"But the proctor said that we shouldn't open the scrolls," Karin said.

Atsushi shook his head and told her, "She said not to open the scrolls UNTIL we reach the tower."

"But just in case send some shadow clones to open them." Sasuke told Naruto.

"Worth a shot," Naruto said as he made two Shadow clones. The clones took the scrolls and quickly opened them up while the rest of Team 7 stood back. In a puff of smoke, Iruka Umino stood before them.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted in surprise.

Iruka gave a large grin and said, "Wow, you guys were the fourth team to arrive, and the second team from Konoha as well. And it's only the second day!"

"Ha! I knew we were awesome!" Naruto shouted as he pulled his teammates into a group hug, with the Uchiha trying to escape.

"So who's your new friend?" Iruka asked as he looked at Karin.

"Oh yeah." Naruto realized as he remembered his new cousin. "This is Karin, she's an Uzumaki and I'm sure that Jiji will want to make sure."

The chunin nodded in understanding.

"Iruka-sensei?" Hinata began, "Which teams arrived before us?"

"Well, Team 8 broke the record arriving here within the first two hours, the second team was from Suna with a redhead carrying a gourd and that was all for yesterday. The First team for today was a team from Arashi."

"That must be Eito's team." Atsushi said.

"Friends of yours?" Iruka asked.

"He met them during the first exam." Naruto answered.

"Hmm okay then but I have one question?"

The Genins paid attention.

"Did you by any chance encounter Orochimaru?" Seeing them tense was more than enough to answer the question, "I see then… Hokage-sama and your sensei will be waiting for you."

An ANBU agent suddenly appeared and lead the five away.

[+]

**Some minutes and a couple of explaining later**

'I'm too old for this.' Hiruzen thought after he had dismissed Team 7 and Karin. He, Anko and Kakashi had listened to the five genin as they retold their encounters in the dreadful forest of death.

Now he had 5 things to worry about:

\- The Chunin exams.

\- What Orochimaru is planning for Konoha.

\- Gaara being a Jinchuriki.

\- Karin's defection to the Leaf village.

\- And finally the safety of Team 7.

The second and fifth would bother him the most out of the bunch but there no way he will allow Konoha or any of its valuables to fall into his wayward student's hands.

[+]

(With Team 7 and Karin)

Hinata noticed that they weren't escorted back to the usual resting rooms of the tower and judging by the body language of her male teammates (and Karin) they also noticed this, seeing their tensed expressions the ANBU decided to explain.

"Due to recent discoveries and events, Hokage-sama deemed it fit that you guys be located to a more secure room which will be under constant watch." Seeing them relax the ANBU continued before stopping in front of a door.

"We're here." He said before opening the door revealing a fairly large room, its walls were colored dull white with a sliding window on two of the walls. The room seemed to be made for 6 persons judging by the fact that it had six bunk beds.

"As you know all competitors aren't allowed to leave the tower until the second exams are over, if you are hungry the cafeteria is just below this floor. You are free to leave this room at anytime of the day except nighttime." With that the door was closed shut but not locked.

"Well Naruto…" Atsushi began, "It's time to come clean."

Seeing that it couldn't be delayed anymore, Naruto told them everything about himself and at the end of the day he was glad he did.

[+]

**3 days later**

As the end of the exam neared, everyone in the tower proceeded to the main hall in the tower, as instructed to meet with the proctors of the exam.

The timer stopped, the second portion of the exam had concluded. All the candidates who passed the exam were now standing in a large room. On a stage in front of them, stood the Hokage, proctor, and the jonin-senseis for each team.

"First off, congratulations on passing the second exam." the Hokage announced.

The candidates looked around to see which teams had survived the deadly: The Rookie 10, Team 9, Kabuto's team, the Sand Siblings, the Storm triad and the Sound trio.

'_Wow, 25 participants out of 91. I was expecting to cut them in half, but I was expecting single digits.'_Anko thought to herself. _'I guess Ibiki was right, there are some outstanding ones in this group.'_

'_No wonder they nominated them'_the Hokage thought to himself, looking over the rookies_. __'For all of them to make it is surprising to say the least.'_

"Hokage-sama will now explain the third test." Anko announced to everyone. "Please listen carefully."

"I will, but first there is something I would like you to know. It's about the true purpose of these exams." the Hokage said. "Think about it, why do we have many different countries here if each village could hold their own chunin exams for their own ninja?"

Everyone took a few moments to think about what the Hokage was saying. "To promote friendship between countries?" the Hokage asked. "I don't want you to be confused by these exams' true meaning. In reality, this is a replacement for war amongst countries." He received many startled looks from the crowd.

"War?! What does that mean?" Tenten said to her team.

"If you go back in time, current allies were once enemies who fought each other for control." the Hokage explained. "In order to prevent fighting, this is the stage these countries chose to do battle on… That is the purpose of these exams."

"What?!" Kiba blurted out. "Isn't this thing for deciding who becomes chunin?"

"It is a fact that this exam decides who has what it takes to become chunin." the Hokage explained. "But this exam has another side… Where each country's shinobi risk their own life to protect their land's prestige. There will be leaders and influential individuals watching the third exam, many of them come from countries that are clients of shinobi. If the strength of a country is clear, that country will receive more clients, and if seen week, they will lose clients. Not to mention, it will send a message to other villages that 'our village has much power'. The strength of a country is the strength of the village. The strength of the village is the strength of the shinobi. And a shinobi's true strength is born only through life-risking battles."

"But why do you say stuff about being for friendship?" Tenten asked.

"I said in the beginning, I don't want you to confuse the purpose of this. By losing life and establishing balance, this is the shape of friendship in the world of shinobi." the Hokage stated. "Before we begin the third test, I will tell you one more thing… This is not just a test. This is a life-risking battle, with your dreams and country's prestige on the line. I'd like to explain the third test but…"

"(cough) actually, I apologize for the interruption Hokage-sama. From here on, as referee, will you please allow me." a sickly looking ninja said, appearing before the Hokage. The Hokage agreed. "Hello everyone, I'm Hayate. Before we begin, there is something I would like you to do. It's a preliminary round for the third test. To decide who gets to participate in the main event."

"Preliminary?!" Many people questioned in unison.

"Due to the first and second tests seemingly being far too easy this year, (cough) (cough) we have too many people remaining." Hayate said. "According to the rules, we may have a preliminary round to reduce (cough) the number of participants for the third test. As Hokage-sama said, there are many important individuals arriving and (cough) time is important. Now that is said, if there is anyone who feels like they cannot participate in a preliminary match now, (cough) (cough) please step forward now and you will be removed."

Kabuto promptly raised his hand.

"You're leaving Kabuto-senpai?" Sakura asked.

"Unfortunately yes, I'm low on chakra and because of that I would be able to put up much of a fight." Kabuto said as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Anyone else?" Hayate asked as Kabuto left the hall.

Neji turned to his cousin. "Hinata, you should also back out. I must admit that I am impressed you made it this far, but if you continue, something bad will surely happen to you."

Naruto who was close heard every single word and had to be restrained by Atsushi before he did something will regret… or maybe not.

"Thanks nii-san but I'm pretty sure I can take care of myself, I'm a shinobi after all." Hinata replied sending a mild glare at her cousin, the latter gritted his teeth but didn't reply.

"Now (cough), if there is no one else, we are going to begin the preliminaries" Hayate announced. "Since there are 24 entries now, we will have 12 matches (cough) (cough). Each match will be a one-on-one battle with the match ending when one fighter is dead, (cough) unconscious, or admits defeat."

"Now please (cough) direct your attention to the screen as we (cough) move on to the first preliminary matchup."Hayate said as names began to flash on the screen…

After some seconds two names were selected.

**Eito Kishida vs. Yori Akado**

"Now, these two entrants come forward while the rest of you, please proceed to the balconies above to watch the matches." Hayate announced.

[+]

|Arena|

"Are both fighters ready?" Hayate asked once everyone else was on the balconies. The proctor received a nod from both combatants, "First preliminary matchup between Eito of Arashi and Yori of Konoha begin!"

With that the match began. Yori made a hand seal and a blue chakra aura surrounded his hands. Eito drew his katana waiting for his adversary to make the first move which came in form of thrown shuriken. The Kishida deflected the projectile with his trusty sword then charged slicing his opponent in half only for the latter to crumble in dirty.

'An Earth clone?' Eito thought before he was suddenly gripped from behind. Yori had the boy in a bear hug before moving his hand to the boy's chest, a blue aura appearing on the hand. Eito suddenly felt his chakra reserves dropping.

"You're stealing my chakra." The Kishida said.

"So you finally noticed." Yori replied in amusement but that soon turned to confusion as the boy suddenly stopped struggling. "Why did you- Aarrgghh!" Yori cried out in pain dropping Eito as if he was hot iron.

"So you finally noticed." Eito said mockingly as Yori tried to cool down his hands which were now blood red.

"W-what did you do to me?" Yori asked gritting his teeth in pain, his hands felt as if they were on fire.

"You brought that upon yourself by stealing a Kishida's chakra." Seeing everyone's confused expressions he explained further, "The chakra of a Kishida is unstable and very aggressive, once introduced into the chakra network of a non-Kishida it reacts violently causing unbearable pain and death if not immediately flushed out."

"Y-you're… bluffing." Yori said barely trying to fight back the intense pain.

"Stick around for the next 10 minutes then see whose bluffing."

[+]

|Balconies|

"Atsushi? Is Eito-san telling the truth?" Hinata asked, glancing at her Kishida teammate who nodded sadly.

"Yes, Yori has 9 minutes to seek medical attention or he's a dead man."

[+]

**2 minutes later**

|Arena|

"Yori-san please surrender, you won't be able to handle the pain anymore." Eito said with slight concern.

Yori was about to make a retort but was cut off by another cry of pain, the 'fire' had spread to his arms heading towards his shoulders, "Proctor I give up."

"Winner: Eito Kishida of Arashigakure!" Hayate announced as Eito walked upstairs to his team while Yori was carried away by medical nins. "The second match will begin now." He stated as the screen lit up.

All eyes were focused on the screen again. A minute passed before the screen stopped on stopped on another two names.

**Zaku Abumi vs. Atsushi Kishida**

"You have got to be kidding me." The Kishida groaned while Naruto patted his back.

"Hey look on the bright side." The Uzumaki began, "You guys finally get to finish what was started in the forest."

"Not funny Naruto, what if he takes one of those pills again." Atsushi complained.

"Actually he doesn't have any." Hinata said staring at the Oto genin with her byakugan, "The girl is the only one who has one."

"Well then that evens the odds and I may actually be able to win if I use that new jutsu Areku-san taught me." Atsushi said before heading down.

[+]

|Arena|

Zaku chuckled as Atsushi joined him on the battleground. The Kishida noticed this and frowned.

"Something funny?"

"I'm just thinking of the ways I can use to beat your punk ass face into the ground." Zaku answered smugly.

"If I remember correctly back at the forest it was your punk ass face that was beaten into the ground." Atsushi said placing an arm behind his back while the other went in front.

Zaku grit his teeth as he glared at the boy in front of him, "That was because your teammates interrupted."

"Well they aren't going to interrupt this time and to be honest they won't need to because I'm not losing this fight." Atsushi replied glaring back.

"Then I'm going to have to prove you wrong." The Oto genin smirked wiggling his right arm a bit.

"I like to see you try."

Hayate looked back and forth between the two genin before raising his hand.

"Second match… begin!"

Zaku made the first move, charging towards Atsushi. He removed his right arm from his sling and threw a punch at the Kishida's face. Atsushi used his right hand to grab the punch then used his left hand to land a punch on Zaku's chest, knocking him backwards a few feet.

The Sound genin got up to his feet and noticed that his opponent was charging, smirking he pointed his right hand at the Kishida. "Decapit-" Zaku was cut short as Atsushi suddenly disabled his chakra weights closing the gap between them within a nanosecond and landing a lightning enhanced fist on his gut. The Sound genin was sent flying backwards until he hit the ground and coughed up blood.

"Didn't you say you were going to beat my punk ass face into the ground?" Atsushi taunted.

"Fuck you…" Zaku hissed in response as he pointed his right hand at the Kishida. "Extreme Decapitating Airwaves!"

A powerful blast of air was fired directly towards Atsushi who weaving some hand seals. "Earth Style: Earth Dome!" the blast collided with the Earth barrier creating a dust cloud. Zaku smirked thinking that he landed a hit, that soon turned into a look of confusion as the dust cloud lifted revealing three Atsushis.

[+]

Sasuke blinked as he watched this with his Sharingan. "Are those…"

"Yep," Naruto answered, internally chuckling at their shock expressions.

"Atsushi shouldn't be able to perform that jutsu, his chakra reserves are way smaller than yours Naruto-kun!" Hinata pointed out.

"Atsushi did say that his clan's chakra is unstable." Kakashi began, staring at the Kishida intensively, "Because of that I think his chakra reserves have the ability to stretch themselves whenever the user uses a jutsu beyond his current reserves."

"I wonder what he's up to because he hasn't used this jutsu for about 3 months now." Naruto said, eyes still watching the fight.

[+]

|Arena|

Zaku was snapped out of his confused state just in time as the Atsushis called out their next attack.

"Lightning Style: Laser Gun Barrage!" Six beams of blue lightning shot towards the sound genin who then smirked as he raised two hands above his head.

"Spiraling Wind Dome!" Air shot out of device on his hands forming a miniature hurricane around him, the beams of lightning were effectively neutralized by the hurricane.

Having cancelled out his opponent's attack, Zaku dispelled the hurricane and smirked before saying, "Your lightning attacks won't work on me greenie."

The Atsushis in front of him didn't reply instead they puffed into smoke.

"What the-" Zaku could finish his sentence as he felt something grab his legs before dragging him into the ground.

The Sound genin sunk into the ground of the arena floor. His whole body was underground with the exception of his head and in front of him was the person he so wanted to kill.

"How do you like my Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!" Atsushi asked with a proud smirk on his face.

"Winner: Atsushi Kishida of Arashigakure!"

[+]

Orochimaru disguised as the sound team's sensei frowned at how Zaku was defeated, Dosu looked at his male teammate with a look of disappointment, while Kin… in fact the girl wasn't even staring at her teammate instead she was staring at his opponent with a look of admiration and something else. She felt justified that her idiot of a teammate had got finally his ass handled to him after the humiliation she received from him during her team's sparring sessions and for the pain he inflicted on her after she refused to ingest the special pill.

[+]

"So he finally did that jutsu." Kakashi noted, smiling internally as Atsushi rejoined them in the balcony.

"Took you long enough." Sasuke said with a small smile.

"Sorry about that." Atsushi replied rubbing his head sheepishly, "Anyway may sure you guys win your own fights, I can't be the only one representing Team 7 in the finals."

"Hn, I am not going to lose. There are too many strong people here that I want to beat, especially you Naruto." Sasuke replied glancing at his blond teammate.

"In your dreams teme, if we somehow have to fight each other either now or in the finals I won't hold back." Naruto said smiling at his teammate who hn'd and turned away but with a smile on his face.

Atsushi shook his head while Hinata giggled at the two antics.

"Kurenai-sensei?" Sakura called gaining her jonin-sensei's attention, "Why wasn't Atsushi addressed as a citizen of Konoha?" The rest of the rookies also paid attention as they were also curious.

"He isn't from Konoha." Was the simply reply from the female jonin.

Kiba blinked, "I don't get it." Kurenai was about to explain but was beaten to it by Naruto.

"His family are ambassadors to Konoha that's why he was addressed by the village his representing."

The Inuzuka stared at the Uzumaki with a bewildered look, "Oi dope did you understand half of what you just said?"

The blond clenched his fists in anger until Sasuke placed a hand on his shoulder, "He isn't worth it." Naruto nodded mentally thanking the Uchiha.

The screen lit up and began to flash through names

[+]

**Kankuro Sabaku vs. Hinata Hyuga**

"Go get him."

"Show that make-up freak what you're made of."

"Don't lose."

Hinata nodded at her teammates before descending the stairs.

Kankuro smirked as he saw his opponent walk down the stairs. "Looks like I get a weakling."

Temari scoffed, "It's an attitude like that makes you lose all the time."

Kankuro rolled his eyes, "Oh please, she won't even last three minutes against me."

"Kankuro," Gaara said in a cold voice, "If you lose, consider your existence finished." Kankuro paled and raced down to the arena before standing across from Hinata.

"Are both of you ready?" Hayate asked.

"Yes," Hinata replied.

"Yeah," Kankuro said.

"Third match begin!" Hayate said before jumping away. Hinata instantly activated her Byakugan and entered the Jyuken stance. Kankuro merely took the wrapped bundle off of his back and placed it next to him.

_'He... doesn't have any chakra!' _Hinata thought as she took a good look at Kankuro. She then noticed strings of chakra coming from his body and going into the bundle where it had a faint blue glow.

She then used her Byakugan on Kankuro who was standing before her. She saw right through the disguise and found him to be a wooden puppet with four arms, shaggy hair, a tattered robe, and three eyes staring blankly back at her.

_'So he's one of those Puppet Users from Sunagakure_.' Hinata thought._'And judging from how the bundle has chakra coming out of it, I can guess the user is hiding inside.' With that in mind Hinata dashed towards the puppet Kankuro. The latter tensed then tried to punch the Hyuga but Hinata turned on her heel dodging the punch before attacking the bundle._

"Gah!" the real Kankuro cried out as Hinata started to close his tenketsu (Chakra points). The puppet Kankuro fell to the ground as the real one jumped out of the wrappings to avoid any more damage. He already couldn't feel anything in his left arm as it took most of the strikes.

"How did you know I was in there?" Kankuro questioned as he glared at the heiress.

"My Byakugan saw that your puppet had no chakra network and that there were several strings of chakra attached to several joints on its body. I also saw that the strings were coming from the bundle that your puppet place next to it," Hinata explained.

"Tch, guess I actually got a good opponent," Kankuro muttered as he reached out with his right arm and sent out chakra strings to the puppet. Karasu rose up and shot a purple ball towards Hinata, the Hyuga channeled some chakra to her right hand.

"Fuzen Kaiten!" Hinata waved said hand in front of her creating a semi-spherical barrier. The ball crashed into the chakra barrier and created a purple smoke cloud.

Hinata noticed this and jumped backwards to avoid getting poisoned, thanks to her Byakugan she saw Karasu shooting out of poison cloud attempting to grab her. The heiress avoided the puppet's arms before using her Jyuken to destroy its chakra strings.

Without strings Karasu crumbled to the ground useless.

Kankuro who was on the other side of the poison cloud wondered why Karasu wasn't responding to his motions. The poison cloud soon lifted and he saw why but that wasn't the only thing he saw as Hinata started to charge.

Kankuro quickly moved side to side in order to avoid her attacks. Each time he tried to send some chakra strings to Karasu Hinata would destroy them. The older Suna-nin was starting to get frustrated with this and decided to go on the attack.

He threw a punch at Hinata, but the dead weight of his useless left arm made him stumble a little, and Hinata capitalized on that.

She slid past the weak blow and began to deliver a number of strikes to his tenketsu. "Eight Trigrams: 32 Palms!" The Suna-nin didn't stand a chance as Hinata rapidly closed off the chakra points in his remaining arm and legs.

"Two Palms! Four Palms! Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms! Thirty-Two Palms!"

Once done Hinata gently poked Kankuro on the forehead and the puppet user fall backwards towards the floor.

"Winner: Hinata Hyuga of Konohagakure!"

[+]

|Balconies|

'Seems Hokage-sama was right, being on Team 7 did bring her out of shell.' Kurenai thought with a sad smile as she watched Hinata climb back up the stairs.

As Hinata rejoined her teammates she was immediately wrapped in a hug by an ecstatic blond.

"Congratulations Hinata-chan, I knew you could do it." Naruto cheered. Hinata blushed beet red then returned the hug.

"Ehmph… Naruto I can think you have congratulated her enough," Kakashi said before giggling perversely, "Or do you two want to continue this elsewhere." The two immediately separated blushing new shades of red with Naruto glaring at the Cyclops.

"Ero-sensei." He muttered under his breath prompting Atsushi to burst out laughing and Sasuke to develop a smirk.

[+]

**A/N: **And that the first part of the preliminaries, I hope this chapter met your expectations. I'm still deciding on whether may the other preliminaries the same as cannon or changing them, anyway hope you enjoined Eito's, Atsushi's and Hinata's fights. Eito's and Atsushi's explained more about the Kishida.

Next chapter: Preliminaries Conclusion.

Total number of words: 6004 words

Jamesco1292002


	14. Chapter 14

"Talking"

"Thoughts"

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast talking"**

"**Tailed Beast Thinking"**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**Chapter 14: Preliminaries Conclusion**

[+]

*Previously*

Kankuro quickly moved side to side in order to avoid her attacks. Each time he tried to send some chakra strings to Karasu Hinata would destroy them. The older Suna-nin was starting to get frustrated with this and decided to go on the attack.

He threw a punch at Hinata, but the dead weight of his useless left arm made him stumble a little, and Hinata capitalized on that.

She slid past the weak blow and began to deliver a number of strikes to his tenketsu. "Eight Trigrams: 32 Palms!" The Suna-nin didn't stand a chance as Hinata closed off the chakra points in his remaining arm and legs.

"Two Palms! Four Palms! Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms! Thirty-Two Palms!"

Once done Hinata gently poked Kankuro on the forehead and the puppet user fall backwards towards the floor.

"Winner: Hinata Hyuga of Konohagakure!"

[+]

|Balconies|

'Seems Hokage-sama was right, being on Team 7 did bring her out of shell.' Kurenai thought with a sad smile as she watched Hinata climb back up the stairs.

As Hinata rejoined her teammates she was immediately wrapped in a hug by an ecstatic blond.

"Congratulations Hinata-chan, I knew you could do it." Naruto cheered. Hinata blushed beet red then returned the hug.

"Ehmph… Naruto I can think you have congratulated her enough," Kakashi said before giggling perversely, "Or do you two want to continue this elsewhere." The two immediately separated blushing new shades of red with Naruto glaring at the Cyclops.

"Ero-sensei." He muttered under his breath prompting Atsushi to burst out laughing and Sasuke to develop a smirk.

[+]

*Chapter 14 Begins!*

Names began to flash through the Screen before landing on two names that shocked everyone from Konoha.

**Sakura Haruno vs. Ino Yamanaka**

The two shocked kunoichi proceeded to the floor.

"This is going to be troublesome." Shikamaru sighed, leaning on the railing.

"Those two are going to fight to see who is truly worthy of Sasuke-kun." Kiba said smirking.

Sasuke shivered slightly, the act being noticed by his teammates and sensei.

'I kinda feel sorry for teme.' Naruto thought knowing that Kiba was somehow right.

[+]

|Arena|

"I never thought that I would have to fight you, Sakura."

"Me too, Ino."

"Well on the bright side the issue of who deserves Sasuke can finally-"

"I have no intention of fighting you over Sasuke." Sakura said, cutting her opponent off.

"What!?" Ino shouted, the others on the balcony were also thinking the same thing.

"I didn't reach this stage just to fight over one boy." Sakura stated, "No, I'm here to show that I'm a competent Kunoichi of the Leaf Village."

In the balcony all Konoha shinobi either had their jaws dropped or were staring at Sakura in shock except for Kurenai who look down at her student with pride.

"So you're no longer interested in Sasuke?" Ino asked feeling slight nervous all of the sudden. 'What happened to you Forehead?'

Sakura nodded negatively, "No but my shinobi career comes first before anything else." To Ino's surprise, Sakura removed her headband that she had been using to hold back her hair, and tied it properly around her forehead. Shaking off her surprised state the mind walker did the same.

"Fourth Match… Begin!"

Sakura rushed forward and threw a punch aiming at the blonde's head. Ino dodged the punch and retaliated with a low spin kick knocking the pinkette off her feet. The Haruno got back up and traded punches, kicks and strikes with the Yamanaka.

The two backed away from each other and threw shurikens which cancelled each other. Sakura made some hand seals and her opponent was surrounded by flower petals, Ino blinked as the petals surrounded her in a small tornado. **[1]**

'A Genjutsu! Really Forehead?' Ino thought before muttering 'Kai'. The genjutsu was dispelled but her opponent was nowhere in sight.

The blonde was taken by surprise when her opponent yelled behind her.

"CHHAAA!" Ino jumped out of the way of Sakura's punch. The punch connected with the ground, leaving a good sized crack on the ground. Ino eyes widen at the sight.

'How did she get so strong?'

Sakura frowned seeing that she had missed but that changed into a smirk as she performed the 'Snake' hand seal. The girl suddenly exploded into a couple of cherry blossoms. Ino frowned as she knew this was another genjutsu and she was right as a very large cherry blossom appeared under her.

The blossom quickly swallowed her whole then exploded, Ino yelled in pain as she was thrown across the arena floor. **[2]**

[+]

|Balcony|

"Kurenai what did you to her?" Kakashi asked the female jonin after watching how Sakura was dominating the fight.

"I guided her on the path to being a competent Kuniochi." Kurenai said happily, "Plus she does have a knack for genjutsu so I couldn't resist not teaching her a few things."

'I can't believe this is the same girl that I rejected for Hinata when Hokage-sama first assigned teams.' The Cyclops thought now rooting for the Haruno.

[+]

|Arena|

"There is no way you're stronger than me!" Ino snapped, "How are you stronger than me, Forehead?"

"Four months ago, my Team accepted a C rank mission: We were to escort a client to Land of Hot Springs and return back. The mission was a success but on our way back we were ambushed by a group of bandits and I almost lost my life just because I couldn't defend myself, if Kiba and Shino hadn't come to my aid I won't be here today." Sakura recalled, "After that day I spent countless hours training both physical and mentally with my teammates and Kurenai-sensei," She paused then stared at her opponent, "Now tell me Ino why wouldn't I be stronger than someone who worries about boys and growing her hair."

"THAT'S IT." Ino cried out, before cutting her long hair with her kunai much to everyone's surprise. She threw the hair on the ground, scattering it all over the place.

"I'm going to end this right now. I'm going to make 'I give up' come directly from your mouth." Ino said, making her family's signature hand seal.

"I understand your desperation, but that is useless, seeing as all I have to do is avoid it." Sakura said, already knowing about the jutsu her opponent was about to use. "Then you wouldn't be able to return to your body for a few minutes and the proctor would be forced to call the fight." Sakura tried to move, only to find out that she couldn't thanks to Ino's hair that lined the ground.

"You can't escape from me now." Ino said before calling out her jutsu, "Mind Tr-" She stopped when she noticed that her opponent wasn't panicking instead she had a smiley expression on her face but that soon turned into a glare.

A giant Sakura lookalike suddenly rose up from behind the trapped one, Ino took a step back in fear as Inner Sakura glared at her.

"**WHY YOU LITTLE!" **She shouted before bring her giant hand on Ino squishing her. **[3]**

[+]

Everyone apart from Jonin-sensei and Hokage didn't quite understand what just happened, Ino was one jutsu away from winning but then she freezes up and cries out in fright before collapsing.

"Winner: Sakura Haruno of Konohagakure." Hayate announced after the blond girl was discovered to have fallen unconscious.

"Well that was-"

"Interesting." Hinata suggested and Naruto nodded in reply.

"It looks like Sakura's taking her shinobi life seriously." Atsushi said turning to his raven-haired teammate. "Is that right Sasuke?"

"So it seems." Sasuke answered boredly.

"Does that mean you're going to say yes when she asks you out again?" Naruto snickered catching on where Atsushi was going.

"Hell no!" Sasuke frowned, "She may have gotten better but she still has a long way to go."

"Come on now, everyone still has a long way to go even you." The Uzumaki pointed out.

"Naruto-kun's is right, Sasuke." Hinata supported, "We all have room for improvement." She added.

"You know that they're right." Atsushi said.

Sasuke huffed then turned to Naruto, "I thought you wanted to go out on a date with her?"

"I haven't asked her out in 4 months, plus we don't really go together." Naruto replied, 'I can't believe it took both Areku-san and Atsushi to force me out of my obsession with her.' He thought feeling embarrassed about the fact.

[+]

**Tenten ****Higurashi vs. Temari ****Sabaku**

The two kunoichi wasted no time as they got into place on the arena floor. They both stood relaxed as if they had no cares in the world.

"Fifth Match: Begin."

No words were exchanged as Tenten immediately jumped back and ran a wide arc around the Suna kunoichi before taking out a few kunai and throwing them at the older girl. To the surprise of her teammates and herself she completely missed.

"Impossible..."

"Sorry girlie but you won't hit me with aim like that." Tenten just huffed and began tossing more weapons at Temari. All of them got deflected and at the end of the metal rain, Tenten was left staring Temari whose fan was now open partway. "This is the first moon, there are two more. When you see all three this match will be over."

Tenten just grit her teeth and took out a pair of scrolls. "I was planning on saving this for the main matches, but it looks like I won't be able to hold back." Getting enough distance she balanced the two scrolls in front of her as she made hand signs.

"Ninja Art: Twin Rising Dragons!"

The scrolls erupted into the air as a pair of twisting dragons between which Tenten appeared amidst the double helix. Channeling chakra into the scrolls as they spun, weapons began to appear in her hands as she started a new rain of steel aimed right at Temari. The shower continued for only thirty seconds, but by that time hundreds of weapons of all types were littering the ground with Temari standing in a small clearing amongst them. "I'm not done yet!" With tremendous effort she used the strings connected to each weapon and pulled them all back into the air before swinging her arms forward causing all of the weapons to crash down again, but all at once this time in a near solid sheet of pointed metal. There should have been no dodging the mass, but as Tenten landed she glared at the lone figure in the middle of the field of metal.

Temari just smirked as she stood with the second moon of her fan showing. "Shall we end this little game?" Twirling her fan in front of her, Temari vanished into thin air.

Tenten looked around frantically until a shadow overlapped her. _'Shit!'_ She looked up into the air to see Temari grinning down at her from on top of her fan. She was surprised that she hadn't attacked when she had the chance but it seemed that wasn't her plan.

Instead Temari landed right back where she started still with the same grin on her face while the fan was completely unfolded showing all three moons.

"Ninja Art: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

In the small arena the attack rounded on itself and soon Tenten was lifted into the air in a small whirlwind that began cutting into her clothing. The larger problem wasn't the chakra laced wind though, but rather the vacuum inside the cone. With the lack of air she was quickly rendered helpless before Temari released the jutsu causing the kunoichi to fall toward the ground. Temari wasn't satisfied with that though as she held her fan to the side and 'caught' Tenten on the end of her iron fan, the not so soft landing causing Tenten to cough up blood before she passed out. Still not satisfied Temari threw Tenten out towards her own weapons intending to impale the girl upon her own hoard. Luckily the girl's teammate was able to jump down in time to save her from an even more painful landing.

"Is that any way to treat someone who tried their best?" Lee glared at the Suna-nin along with Neji who was up in the stands scowling a bit as well.

"Shut up and take that weakling out of my sight." Lee sped forward and attempted to attack Temari, but was blocked by her fan. "Now now that wasn't nice. It's as expected from a ninja from such a soft village though."

"Lee! Calm down." The green spandex clad jōnin-sensei of the boy landed behind his student.

"... Hai Gai-sensei."

"Temari stop messing around with that idiot and his guardian." Gaara's cold voice came from above.

"Winner: Temari Sabaku of Sunagakure!"

Once Tenten was taken away by some medic, the next matchup was decided.

**Shikamaru Nara vs. Kin Tsuchi**

[+]

|Arena|

The two competitors proceeded to the floor. "Man, this is troublesome. I didn't want to have to fight a girl." Shikamaru said.

"Don't worry, I'll make it quick." Kin said.

"Sixth Match: Begin!" Hayate announced.

'Hmm, I saw Dosu's ability, but I don't know what hers are.' Shikamaru thought. "Oh well, Shadow Possession Jutsu!" His shadow shot out towards Kin. She dodged his attack, flinging a few senbons towards him. Shikamaru dodged them easily and tossed a kunai back in response. The Oto kunoichi avoided the kunai and threw two more senbon: one with a bell and one without a bell. Shikamaru was able to avoid the senbon with a bell easily but the second senbon had managed to hit him in the knee. The Nara winced in pain.

"How did…" Shikamaru finally noticed that the second that hit him had no bell. _'She threw two with bells at first so that way I would use my hearing to avoid the senbon and, therefore, would get hit by the silent one. Not bad…'_The Nara proceeded to pull out the senbon and grab another kunai. _'But now that I know your trick, this'll be easy!'_

Kin proceeded to toss more senbon: one with a bell and one without a bell each time. Shikamaru, now aware of her strategy, was able to avoid each senbon she tossed. After a few seconds of dodging, the Nara tossed a shuriken at the kunoichi. The weapon hit her in the side. Her eyes widened and she hissed in pain. Blood dripped out of her side as she took out the shuriken and tossed it away.

"Heh. I know what you are doing. Next you'll throw one with a bell on it and one without a bell. My attention will be drawn to the bell, and you'll get me with the other needle." Shikamaru said, exposing her strategy.

Instead of being annoyed the Sound genin just smirked then made a hand gesture with some wire, causing a bell to sound from behind the Konoha genin.

'What?! Behind?'Shikamaru thought, turning around to see the same bells making the sound. _'String?'_

Kin took advantage of him while his back was turned and threw more senbon. Shikamaru was hit hard and fell to the ground. After pulling himself up, his head started to spin. A loud ringing pain then entered his ear and seemed to affect his brain.

'_What the…'_ Shikamau fell to his knees and gripped his head tightly.

All of a sudden, there were multiple versions of Kin standing in front of him. All of them looked identical from each and all were holding senbon.

"You're hallucinating right now. My bells produced a specific sound wave that is affecting your brain. You probably see multiple versions of me and you're motor control is failing." Kin taunted. "This match is over for you!"

Shikamaru shook his head in defiance. _'This is just a genjutsu. Come on!'_

The Nara looked over at all the Kin's. He soon noticed something: one of the versions of Kin was standing near a small blood puddle.

_'That must have dripped onto the ground after I hit her with my shuriken!' _He realized before proceeding to make a hand seal.

Kin was about ready to throw a few more needles into Shikamaru, but found her arm unable to move. "What?!" she said.

"Heh, Shadow Possession Jutsu is finally a success." Shikamaru said, analyzing Kin's facial expression. "You haven't noticed it yet? A string at that height doesn't make a shadow." Kin looked down to see two shadows coming off of her string and connecting to her shadow. "I can change the shape of my shadow. So I made it real skinny to make it look like the shadow of your string." Shikamaru then pulled a shuriken out and aimed it at Kin. Because of the jutsu, she mirrored the same thing.

"Are you crazy?!" she called out. "If you attack, we will both get hurt!"

"I know." Shikamaru said. "We'll just keep throwing shuriken to see how long we last. Shurikens were thrown and as they got really close to the competitors face, Shikamaru quickly bent backwards to dodge it, causing Kin to do the same. However, she slammed her head on the wall behind her, knocking her unconscious.

"Heh, one down." Shikamaru said, returning to an upright position. "If you're a shinobi, then you have to fight with knowledge of your surroundings. The distance to the wall behind you was what got you? I used the shuriken to keep you from noticing how close you were to it."

"Winner: Shikamaru Nara of Konohagakure!" Hayate announced.

[+]

"Yeah Shikamaru won!" Ino (Who regained consciousness during Tenten and Temari's fight) cheered out as her teammate returned to the stands.

Naruto however wasn't concerned about that, he was concerned about Atsushi who wore a sad expression as the Sound girl was carried away to the medical ward.

"Everything ok?" Naruto asked.

"Huh?" Atsushi said, coming out of sober state.

"You seemed kind of down because the Sound girl's defeat." The Uzumaki pointed out, "You do know that her team attacked us in the forest."

"I don't think that she wanted to… At least not willingly." The Kishida said, "She still has those pills but she didn't use them then or now-"

"Will Shino Aburame and Sasuke Uchiha please come down for the Seventh Match!" Hayate announced.

Naruto's right eye twitched after hearing that, "Oh come on, the teme gets to fight before me!?"

Sasuke smirked at the blond before descending the stairs.

[+]

**Shino Aburame vs. Sasuke Uchiha**

|Arena|

Both boys were already on the arena floor sizing up each other.

'His taijutsu wasn't that good in the academy but if I engage him in only taijutsu his bugs will drain my chakra, guess I have no choice but to use Moeruken then.' Sasuke thought.

'Sasuke is well versed in fire style jutsu… this could a problem!' Shino thought.

"Fighters ready?"

Sasuke brought his hands to form a hand seal.

Two insect spheres formed above Shino.

"Seventh Match: Begin!"

"Moeruken: Body Flare Armor!" The Uchiha's body promptly caught fire surprising everyone except his teammates. "Flame Shot!" Sasuke punched the air in front of him shooting a miniature fireball towards his adversary.

Shino dodged this then gestured to his insect spheres to attack, the spheres flew towards the Uchiha while dodging the miniature fireballs sent their way, unfortunately one of the spheres wasn't lucky and got hit. The other got close to the Uchiha but was repelled by the flames surrounding his form.

'Just as I suspected, this is the worst case scenario for me.' Shino thought. 'My hive can't get close or they will be burned by that jutsu of his, but if they can't catch him then I can't win.' Shino contemplated several ideas that came to mind but he couldn't come up with one that wouldn't get his hive damaged in some way.

Seeing that his opponent wasn't going to make a move anytime soon, the Uchiha ran at his opponent disappearing in a burst of speed. Shino's eyes widen as he looking around, but as he turned towards his left a punch greeted him before sending the Aburame spiraling backwards.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Shino recovered quickly and rolled out of way then raised his hand.

"Proctor, I wish to forfeit." He informed.

'WHAT? He's forfeiting already?' Sasuke thought slightly disappointed.

"Are you sure?" The bug user nodded, "Winner: Sasuke Uchiha of Konohagakure!"

[+]

|Balcony|

"WHAT? SASUKE HAD AN EASY WIN!" Naruto shouted out, causing his teammates and sensei to cover their ears.

"Naruto-kun, please not so loud." Hinata said, glaring a bit. The Blond immediately apologized for his outburst.

"Actually Naruto, Shino forfeited because he didn't want to lose any more of his insects to Sasuke's fire attacks." Kakashi explained, "Sasuke had the advantage before the fight even began."

"Fine, I hope I'm next." The Uzumaki mumbled.

"I don't think so." Atsushi said pointing towards the screen. Naruto read the next two names and frowned.

"Are you kidding me?"

**Rock Lee vs. Misumi Tsurugi**

"YOSH!"

Everyone turned their heads to face the direction of the noise. Rock Lee was practically jumping up and down in place, a large smile on his face.

"I didn't have to wait too long at all!" He exclaimed happily and loudly.

"That's right Lee! Not long at all!" Gai, his sensei, shouted back with equal intensity and volume. "It is now your turn to show everyone here the flames of your youth! Go Lee! Make me and your teammates proud!"

"YES GAI-SENSEI!" Lee nearly screamed as he jumped off the railing, not even bothering to take the stairs.

Gai looked down at Lee, pride beaming in his eyes while Neji acted as he if he didn't know them.

Misumi Tsurugi took the stairs down and reacted much more calmly to the news of his fight. He stood across the arena from Lee, who was already in position to fight.

"Misumi-san, is it? Let us have a wonderful fight." Lee stated to his opponent.

"Hmph, Sure." Misumi responded with a scoff as he got into position of his own. "Better be ready freak, because I'm going to take you down hard."

Hayate raised his hand. "Eight match: Begin!"

Misumi charged, making the first move. He attempted to land a punch on Lee, but the spandex-wearing genin blocked the blow with his arm. Misumi's arm then stretched. It wrapped itself around Lee's arm before he could react.

"What?" Lee gasped as he struggled to pull himself out.

His attempts were fruitless as the elder Konoha genin had wrapped his entire body around him. A part of his stretched out arm went to Lee's neck and began to squeeze.

"I can dislocate any of the joints in my body and then, using my chakraI can soften my skin and then stretch it." Misumi explained his technique with a smirk. "Surrender now kid. Or else you're going to end up with a broken neck. Wouldn't want that, would you?"

Due to the way Misumi had tangled himself around him, Lee was unable to move his arms and legs to break free. The spandex-wearing genin, however knew of another method to break free. He made eye contact with his jonin sensei. Gai simply nodded his head, giving Lee approval to use it.

"I'm afraid I have to decline Misumi-san." Lee responded as he closed his eyes. "Gate of Opening: Open!"

Lee's body was now able to utilize one hundred percent of its strength. Using this strength, he was able to now finally move his arms and pull Misumi and his stretched limbs off him before the elder genin could even react. Misumi was sent backwards, his eyes wide.

"H-How did you break free?" He questioned.

[+]

|Balcony|

"Gai! Did you really teach a Genin such a dangerous technique!?" Kakashi yelled.

Gai's gaze never left the arena as he spoke to Kakashi. "Taijutsu is the only way for Lee to become a shinobi. He showed a great talent for it and is skilled with it."

"How many of the Gates can he open?" Kakashi asked.

"Five." Gai told him.

"Kakashi-sensei, what is he talking about?" Naruto asked.

"I've heard about that before." Hinata closed her eyes, trying to think where she had heard it. She soon realized what they were and her eyes went wide. "Wait, aren't those the eight central points in a person's chakra pathway system?"

"Yes, each Gate grants you a burst of power, and by opening all of the Gates you can gain a power far greater than any of the five Kages."

"But it has a setback right?" Atsushi interjected.

"Correct, the more Gates you open, the more your body is strained. Prolonged use of the Gates can lead to the tearing of your muscles. And once you open the final Gate... you die."

Sasuke added that to his mental list of techniques he won't want to learn right after Naruto's sexy jutsu.

"You shouldn't have done that Gai, are you trying to kill your own student?!" Kakahsi shouted.

"You know nothing about Lee!" Gai retorted. "He is determined to become a wonderful shinobi using only Taijutsu... and I am going to help him reach it."

[+]

|Arena|

Upon breaking free from his constraint, Rock Lee undid the bandages on his arms. He then rushed forward to the still-shocked Misumi and delivered a strong kick upward into the elder genin's jaw. Misumi was sent flying into the air. Lee then jumped up and his bandages wrapped around him and his stretched out limbs. Once Misumi was wrapped up, the two Konoha genin started to fall downwards. Lee soon began to spin himself and the wrapped up Misumi.

"Primary Lotus!"

The two genin made contact with the arena ground, filling the arena with dust. Once the dust cleared, Lee could be seen standing in the middle of the arena breathing hard. Misumi, however, was lying on his back, unconscious.

"Winner of the eight match: Rock Lee of Konohagakure!" Hayate called the match as he motioned for medical assistance.

Even though he was tired Lee couldn't hide his excitement. "YOSH!"

"EXCELLENT WORK LEE!" Gai shouted down to his student.

"GAI-SENSEI!" Lee shouted as he rushed back upstairs.

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"EVERYONE LOOK AWAY!" The warning came just in the nick of time as the two hugged creating their Sunset Genjutsu.

[+]

**Himari Kishida ****vs. Choji ****Akimichi**

"Alright Choji, if you win this, I'll take you out for an all-you-can-eat buffet," Asuma said.

Flames appeared in the boy's eyes, "Bring on the BBQ!" Choji roared before racing down the steps and standing across from Himari who drew her bo-staff. The Akimichi's worries and fears about his opponent long forgotten.

"Are both fighters ready?"

"Yes"

"Yeah!"

"Then begin!"

"Expansion Jutsu!" Choji called as he pumped chakra through his body making it expand.

'How is making yourself fatter going to help?' Himari thought tightening the grip on her staff.

"Now to win that BBQ!" Choji exclaimed before his limbs and head retracted into his body, "Human Boulder!" The Akimichi propelled himself forward, rolling like giant boulder.

Himari's eyes widened as the green human boulder came barreling towards her. She leapt out of the way, and Choji just turned to follow her. Himari took out a few kunai and threw them at the Konoha Genin, they just bounced off of him as he was moving too fast.

"Never thought that I had to use this," Himari said as she made a few hand seals and took in a deep breath.

"Fire Style: Burning Ash!" She exhaled a large amount of gunpowder which immediately filled majority of the arena forming a smokescreen. The powder messed Choji's sense of direction causing him to crash into a wall. Choji reverted back to his normal size and pulled out.

"This is Sensei's jutsu!" Choji said after looking around.

"Really?" Himari voice asked coming from all directions, Choji tried to pinpoint his opponent's location but the gunpowder wasn't helping. "Sorry big guy." He heard before a hand gripped his shoulder, "But I have to win."

Choji couldn't reply as an electric current was passed into his body knocking him out, Himari used a wind jutsu to disperse the smokescreen so that everyone could see.

"Winner: Himari Kishida of Arashigakure!"

[+]

Team 10's spirits dropped after seeing their teammate unconscious especially their sensei, the chain smoker was certain that the big-boned boy would win once given the right motivation.

The Screen lit up with names.

**Neji Hyuga vs. Banri Kishida**

Eito and Himari turned to their teammate with worried expressions; the boy in question paled once confirming that his opponent was indeed a Hyuga.

"Proctor I wish to forfeit." He said.

"Are you certain?" Hayate asked and received a nod, "Winner: Neji Hyuga of Konohagakure!"

"First Sasuke now Hyuga-teme gets an easy win!" Naruto said clearly unhappy about the situation. Atsushi had a look of sympathy on his face which Sasuke noticed.

Elsewhere Neji had a smirk on his face, 'As fate had decreed.' The Hyuga thought.

Names flashes on the screen.

**Naruto Uzumaki vs. Kiba Inuzuka**

"HA HA HA! It's like we've already won, right Akamaru." Kiba cheered.

"Shut up mutt!" Naruto said as he leapt down into the battle ground.

"Good luck Naruto-kun!"

"Complete the Quad!"

"…"

Hinata and Atsushi turned to Sasuke, the Uchiha sighed before saying. "Dobe, don't lose!"

'Naruto eh.' Kurenai mused, 'Sorry Kakashi, but he can't beat Kiba!'

[+]

|Arena|

"Heh, Akamaru stay out of this. I won't need you to defeat this idiot." Kiba boasted.

'Oh I will show you who's an idiot.' Naruto fumed mentally, formulating different scenarios in which the Inuzuka left the arena in pain. "Are you done talking? Because I will like to end this ASAP."

"Oh don't worry about that, I will be nice and end this in one punch." Kiba proclaimed while Naruto tch'd in reply.

"Eleventh Match… Begin!"

Kiba crouched down on all fours. "Ninja Art: Four Legged Technique!" Kiba's appearance began to grow more feral than he already was before, it seemed similar to Naruto's when using the Kyubi's chakra. Once the transformation was complete, the Inuzuka immediately launched towards Naruto in a speed he thought the blond wouldn't be able to follow.

"It's over!" Kiba yelled swinging his claws at his opponent's face but something he never expected happened… Naruto dodged it then upper-cut him in the face before landing a spinning kick into his stomach.

Kiba stunned and surprised was launched back to the other side of the floor.

"What's wrong mutt? Feeling tired already?" Naruto taunted.

Kiba got up and glared at the blond, "Lucky hit but that won't happen again!" He wiped some blood off his mouth, revealing just how hard he had been hit. "Akamaru!"

"Bark!"

Akamaru jumped at Naruto at the same time his master did, they started off with a flurry of quick pounces before coming at the Uzumaki with a barrage of hit-and-ran attacks but to their surprise Naruto avoided all solid connects. Seeing that their tactic wasn't working Kiba and Akamaru ceased their onslaught and backed away.

"You sure have gotten better dobe but it ends now!" Kiba said, pulling out two red pills. He tossed one to Akamaru who ate while he ate the second one. Akamaru turned an inflamed shade of red before jumping on Kiba's back.

"Man-Beast Clone!" Akamaru disappeared in a puff of smoke taking up Kiba's appearance.

"Man-Beast Taijutsu Secret Technique: Fang over Fang!" Both Kiba's launched themselves forward twirling at impossible speeds.

"Wind Style: Wind Wall!" An invisible wall of wind appeared between Naruto and twirling duo. The jutsu put a stop to Kiba's and Akamaru's attack, forcing them to crash back to the ground.

"Ugh… What the hell was that?" Kiba asked, as he and Akamaru stood back up.

"It's a wind jutsu, It's knocked you on your ass and gave you a couple cuts." Naruto replied, chuckling a bit. Kiba looked himself and Akamaru over, and sure enough there were cuts in his clothes and a few cuts on his hands. There were shallow cuts on Akamaru as well. "You see Kiba, I'm pretty much getting bored of our fight." He began weaving hand-seals, "So I'm going to end it, Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullets!"

Naruto fired off four blasts of air, two for each of his opponents. Kiba and Akamaru quickly got up and jumped out of the way before charging once more. Seeing them charge, Naruto grabbed something from his pouch and took a deep breath, once the two were close enough the Uzumaki threw two stink bombs on the ground.

"Gahh!" Kiba screamed. Both he and Akamaru (who had transformed back) were clutching their noses. Naruto had used their enhanced sense of smell against them and now that they were distracted he made another hand seal.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" The Uzumaki immediately created six Shadow clones, two restrained Akamaru while the rest went for Kiba. Before Kiba could even react, Naruto slid underneath him and kicked his feet off the ground as the clones began to kick and punch the Inuzuka into the air.

"U"

"ZU"

"MA"

"KI"

At the final stage, Naruto himself appeared above his target and performed a spinning heel drop to Kiba's head, sending the feral looking boy shooting towards the ground, "Uzumaki Barrage!"

"Winner: Naruto Uzumaki of Konohagakure!" Hayate called out.

[+]

|Balcony|

Upon getting back to his team, Naruto was immediately greeted by Hinata who gave him a hug. The Hyuga had a large smile on her face.

"You did great out there Naruto-kun!" She told him, tightening the hug.

Naruto blushed a little before returning the hug. "Thanks Hinata-chan!"

"Alright I think that's enough public display of affection." Atsushi stated as he walked over to them, "So break it up you two."

Almost immediately after he finished his words, Hinata realized what she was doing and pulled away with a large blush on her face. Naruto's face was similarly red. Atsushi laughed at his two teammates.

"S-Shut up Atsushi." The blonde shouted with a scowl.

Sasuke came over and smirked slightly. "Nice job, now I definitely want to fight you dobe."

"Patience Sasuke, the finals aren't that far away." Kakashi said before adding, "Congrats on your win, Naruto."

The blond gave a foxy grin, "Thanks Kakashi-sensei."

"Now that the four of you qualified, the chances of fighting against each other are pretty high." Kakashi pointed out making Hinata, Atsushi and Naruto to frown, "Hey now don't feel gloomy, all you have to do is to prove your worthy to the Judges and the promotion is as good as yours."

The three perked up then nodded before turning their attention to the screen.

**Gaara Sabaku vs. Dosu Kinuta**

"So the Oto guy is going to be fighting him…" Naruto stated as he stared back-and-forth between Gaara and Dosu.'

"I have a bad feeling about this match." Sasuke said, knowing that Gaara was going to win in the most brutal of ways.

[+]

|Arena|

Hayate raised his hand. "Twelfth and final match: Begin!"

Dosu quickly put distance between him and Gaara then tossed two shuriken at Suna genin. The shuriken were immediately blocked as sand rushed out of the gourd on Gaara's back and defended him. The sand then immediately shot towards Dosu who rolled out of the way, avoiding the strike.

Dosu ran forward at Gaara and attempted to punch him in the face, but the sand blocked the fist. The device on Dosu's arm proceeded to release sound waves which were amplified and focused directly at Gaara's ears.

Gaara's eyes widened immediately as he started to scream in pain. The sound entered his ears and created a painful ringing noise. He clutched his ears tightly.

[+]

|Balconies|

"What the…?" Kankuro's eyes were as wide as Gaara's. "How is he doing that?"

"Gaara's being hurt…" Temari realized in panic.

'Orochimaru… Why is one of your brats trying to defeat Gaara? He should know that Gaara is needed in the finals.' Baki, the Suna jonin, questioned with narrowed eyes.

'What is that fool trying to do?' The sound jonin (Orochimaru) fumed mentally.

[+]

(Team 7)

"Well, I guess that the sand can't block the sound." Sasuke noted.

"… Wow…" Hinata mumbled in disbelief. "That's the first time he's been hurt?"

"Kurama says it isn't over." Naruto commented, his eyes focused on Gaara. "He's taking damage, yes, but that does not mean he's over."

[+]

**A/N: **Will be continued next time. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

[1] – Genjutsu: Cherry Blossom Blizzard.

[2] – Demon Illusion: Flower Haze.

[3] – Genjutsu: Mighty Sakura.

Read & Review.

Next chapter: We need to prepare.

Total number of words: 6141 words

Jamesco1292002


	15. Chapter 15

"Talking"

"Thoughts"

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast talking"**

"**Tailed Beast Thinking"**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**Chapter 15: We need to prepare**

[+]

*Previously*

|Arena|

Hayate raised his hand. "Twelfth and final match: Begin!"

Dosu quickly put distance between him and Gaara then tossed two shuriken at Suna genin. The shuriken were immediately blocked as sand rushed out of the gourd on Gaara's back and defended him. The sand then immediately shot towards Dosu who rolled out of the way, avoiding the strike.

Dosu ran forward at Gaara and attempted to punch him in the face, but the sand blocked the fist. The device on Dosu's arm proceeded to release sound waves which were amplified and focused directly at Gaara's ears.

Gaara's eyes widened immediately as he started to scream in pain. The sound entered his ears and created a painful ringing noise. He clutched his ears tightly.

[+]

|Balconies|

"What the…?" Kankuro's eyes were as wide as Gaara's. "How is he doing that?"

"Gaara's being hurt…" Temari realized in panic.

'Orochimaru… Why is one of your brats trying to defeat Gaara? He should know that Gaara is needed in the finals.' Baki, the Suna jonin, questioned with narrowed eyes.

'What is that fool trying to do?' The sound jonin (Orochimaru) fumed mentally.

[+]

(Team 7)

"Well, I guess that the sand can't block the sound." Sasuke noted.

"… Wow…" Hinata mumbled in disbelief. "That's the first time he's been hurt?"

"Kurama says it isn't over." Naruto commented, his eyes focused on Gaara. "He's taking damage, yes, but that does not mean he's over."

[+]

*Chapter 15 starts here*

"**The noise! Make it stop! Now!"** A voice shouted in Gaara's head.

'Yes mother.' Gaara responded to the voice, the maniac jinchuriki motioned for his sand to chase after Dosu. The bandaged boy evaded the first wave but was smacked backwards by the second wave, Dosu recovered just in time to notice another wave of hovering over him.

"It's over." Came the emotionless voice of Gaara as he commanded the sand to fall.

'No… I refuse to give up. I WON'T GIVE UP UNTIL I'M RECOGNIZED.' Dosu yelled mentally.

With that the Oto genin jumped out of the way as the sand hit.

"Sand Shuriken!"

Dosu dodged every drizzle of sand and close in, once close enough he landed a fist on the sand surrounding Gaara and released another sound wave which was amplified and directly to his opponent's ears.

"AH!" The red-headed started to scream again, clutching his hands against his ears once more.

'See _me now, Orochimaru-sama?'_ Dosu thought his eyes filled with passion for his master. _'I am no mere pawn! I am Kinuta Dosu!'_

_Meanwhile the Snake Sannin was busy formulating ways he would bisect the boy if he survived this encounter._

_Sadly Dosu won't be around to experience them._

"**End this. End this noise. KILL HIM!"** The voice in Gaara's head screamed.

'Yes… Yes mother…' Gaara responded. "Sand Coffin!"

Faster than anyone could blink Dosu was wrapped in a cocoon of sand. 'Wait WH-'

Gaara clenched his fist, "Sand Burial!"

**BANG!**

Several of the Genin watching the fight began to throw up as a fountain of blood and gore rose halfway to the ceiling.

"W-winner: G-gaara S-sabaku of Sunagakure!" Hayate shakily announced.

Gaara's sand flowed back into its gourd, pulling the cork back into place as Gaara made his way back to his team. Everyone cleared the way for the psycho not wanting to be his next victim.

'Now everyone will be suspicious of him and by extension us.' Baki frowned mentally, before the exams begun he had told the Jinchuriki to control his blood thirst until the final exam but clearly Gaara didn't listen.

Kakashi was watching the Sound Jonin secretly, the latter didn't even show any sign of emotion especially after Dosu's unlikely demise which wasn't normal for a jonin-sensei. The Sharingan user wasn't the only one watching; Hiruzen had been observing the Jonin ever since the Preliminary and judging by the slight emotional slipups during the fight he was almost certain that was his rogue student.

The Sound Jonin in question then vanished in a shunshin, Hiruzen nodded at Kakashi who then went after the target not before saying a 'quick be right back' to his students.

[+]

|Outside the Tower|

Orochimaru smiled grimly as Kakashi appeared before him, "So you saw through my disguise."

"You didn't react to the death of your student." Kakashi answered plainly, "Which kind of sensei does that?" ANBU agents now surrounded the two of them.

"I have no longer have use of those failures, plus they can always be replaced." Orochimaru dropped his disguise seeing that it had been compromised.

"What do you want Orochimaru?" The Silver-haired slipped into a battle stance, "Why have you returned?" Kakashi pressed on.

The Sannin snickered, "Oh you know what I want and as for the second… I want to see the Leaf burn."

"Sorry to disappoint you but you aren't going to succeed." Kakashi said, putting his right hand down then consuming it with crackling electricity. "Even if you are one of the great Sannin, your ambitions shall never be fulfilled, ANBU with me!" Kakashi and the surrounding ANBU leaped simultaneously at Orochimaru, the snake master cackled and lashed out with a sword hidden in his throat. Several unfortunate ANBU agents were bisected in half before the Sannin leapt up and flashed through hand signs. "Summoning Jutsu!" A huge snake was summoned into existence and began to thrash around, taking out numerous ANBU. Kakashi charged with a Chidori and gouged out the snake's throat in a spray of blood. The snake fell in a great thump and exploded into a cloud of smoke. When the smoke had dissipated Orochimaru was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn! Quickly secure the exits he can't have gone far!" Kakashi yelled. The remaining ANBU scattered to find Orochimaru.

[+]

|Tower|

"I would like to congratulate the twelve of you (cough) (cough) for advancing to the next round!" Hayate told the genin in front of him.

The twelve winners, Neji Hyuga, Shikamaru Nara, Rock Lee, Eito Kishida, Himari Kishida, Atsushi Kishida, Hinata Hyuga, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Temari Sabaku, and Gaara Sabaku, stood next to each other in the above order.

"The third exam will be held exactly one month from today and will be held like a tournament. Each of you will participate in single battles, fighting one-on-one until the tournament ends." Hayate explained.

"… So it's a tournament? Does that mean only one of us becomes chunin?" Shikamaru asked.

"No." Hayate shook his head. "Winning matches doesn't determine who will become a chunin. A group of judges, including the present Kages, will be observing the matches and making insight on who deserves to be promoted based on the fights. Winning is not a requirement for promotion. However… ahem…" The proctor proceeded to cough loudly before continuing. "… winning the matches let you fight in more matches. The more you fight the more chances you have to impress the judges and earn your promotion."

"So what are we supposed to do until the finals?" Atsushi asked.

"I would suggest training." Hayate advised. Anko walked down the stairs carrying a bag, once the snake mistress was by his side he continued. "(cough) in this bag, I have twelve different numbers. One at a time, I'd like you all to come forward and draw numbers. Once all numbers (cough) have been drawn, we will know who is going to fight who."

One by one, the Genin walked forward and picked out a number from the bag. They then read off their number.

"I have two." Hinata stated.

"Eight." Sasuke stated.

"Twelve!" Atsushi read.

"I am number seven!" Lee declared.

"Eleven!" Himari said.

"Three." Shikamaru read.

"Nine." Naruto said with Kurama roaring in laughter.

"Five." Eito stated.

"Six." Sakura read.

"One." Neji read as he gave a glare to Hinata.

"Four." Temari said.

"Ten." Gaara read.

Hayate nodded after receiving numbers and taking note of it on paper. He then presented the paper.

"Then, I present you all the match-ups for the third exam of the Chunin Exams." He said.

**Senary Finals**

Match 1: Neji Hyuga vs. Hinata Hyuga.

Match 2: Shikamaru Nara vs. Temari Sabaku

Match 3: Eito Kishida vs. Sakura Haruno

Match 4: Rock Lee vs. Sasuke Uchiha

Match 5: Naruto Uzumaki vs. Gaara Sabaku

Match 6: Himari Kishida vs. Atsushi Kishida

**Ternary Finals**

Match 7: M1 Winner vs. M2 Winner

Match 8: M3 Winner vs. M4 Winner

Match 9: M5 Winner vs. M6 Winner

**Final**

Match 10: M7 Winner vs. M8 Winner vs. M9 Winner

[+]

_'Neji-niisan.'_ Hinata thought sadly as she saw the pleased grin that Neji wore.

"Troublesome, I have to fight another girl," Shikamaru muttered. Unfortunately for him, Temari heard it and sent him a dark glare.

'Why are Kishidans immune to Genjutsu!' Sakura wailed mentally.

Lee and Sasuke looked at each other then grinned excited at the prospect of testing their abilities against each other.

Naruto gulped loudly as Gaara gave him a maniacal grin.

_'This may be a problem.'_ Himari and Atsushi both thought, since they both had the same abilities.

"Those are the matches for the Third Exam." Hayate repeated. "I would (cough) advice that you train well this month. You are now all dismissed."

[+]

**An hour later**

|Ichiraku's|

Kakashi decided to take his team out to celebrate but not everyone was in a celebrative mood.

Hinata had to fight against her cousin.

Naruto had to fight a psychopathic sandman.

In a month's time.

Long story short the celebration wasn't celebrative at all and the news that Kakashi was taking Sasuke away for some training didn't raise Naruto's spirits until Atsushi offered to ask Areku if he can train them both.

[+]

**Half an hour later**

|Hyuga Estate|

Hinata arrived at the Hyuga compound and walked in quietly to avoid being noticed, unfortunately her father Hiashi was standing just by the entrance of the main house presumably waiting for her.

"Hinata, you finally back." He noted, "And I heard you made it to the finals."

"Y-yes, father I-I have." Hinata replied, giving a quick bow to her father.

"Then good job." He acknowledged.

"Nani?"

"I said good job on making it to the finals." Hiashi repeated.

"Um... thank you father."

"I also heard that you will be facing Neji in the finals, is that true?"

"Yes father, we are scheduled to fight each other in the first match."

"Very well then, be in the dojo tomorrow no later than 8 AM. I will personally be supervising your training."

That comment caused Hinata's head to shoot upwards towards her father in surprise. In the past few years, before becoming a Genin, Hinata had been instructed to train with other members of the main branch while Hiashi spent most of his time training her sister Hanabi.

"We have plenty of work to cover if you are to beat Neji and I'm going to do my part to make sure you that you do." Hiashi said firmly.

"Understood!"

"Good. We have a busy day tomorrow so you should probably get an early sleep today." Hiashi stated.

Hinata nodded and started to walk off, just as she was about to make a turn she was called.

"Yes?"

"I'm proud of you." Hinata blinked then gained a smile that would given Naruto's a run for its money.

[+]

**At the same time**

|Kishida Compound|

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun but I can't train you." Areku said sadly.

Naruto's face fell, "But why?"

"Being Ari-kun's uncle and guardian I'm required to focus solely on training him for the finals and no one else." The Jonin said before returning his attention to some documents he was working on.

Atsushi patted the Uzumaki on the back, "May be Hokage-sama can assign-"

"No." Naruto cut him off, "I will find someone else."

The Kishida frowned slightly, "You still angry about your parents right?"

"Kinda." Naruto meekly said.

"Don't worry I'm sure you will find someone." The green-haired teen comforted.

"I hope so."

"**Actually I can help with that."**

Before Naruto could ask what Kurama meant he doubled over in pain, "ARRGH"

"Naruto?" Atsushi yelled gaining his uncle's attention.

"Huh? What's happening?" Areku tried to grab the boy but was repelled by the demonic chakra which exploded out of the Uzumaki.

'Kurama?'

"**Don't fight it kit." **The Biju replied.

The next thing Naruto knew the chakra receded.

"You okay?" Atsushi asked.

"Yeah." Naruto answered slowly getting back up, "So any ideas on what just happened?"

Areku raised a brow, "Shouldn't we be asking you that question?"

"I'm not-" Naruto paused as he suddenly felt strange again, the two Kishida watched as the blonde glowed blue then red before red chakra poured out from his seal. The chakra settled on the ground before materializing into a nine-tailed chibi fox.

They stared at the fox as the fox stared back at them.

"**Yo." **Kurama greeted giving a paw like salute.

Both Kishida fainted.

"**Ok… I wasn't expecting that." **Kurama said once they hit the floor.

"Kurama?" Naruto began, "How… how are you outside the seal?"

"**Oh I used a Biju clone."** Kurama answered before glancing round the room, "**Man! These guys sure love the color green."**

"Biju Clone?" Naruto asked ignoring the second part.

"**It's the Biju's version of Shadow Clone Jutsu."** The chibi fox began, **"Using my chakra I create a clone of myself then transfer my consciousness into said clone creating a Biju clone."**

"So your real body is still in the seal?"

"**Pretty much."** Kurama replied before his stomach rumbled, **"So got any good food around here?"**

Naruto just stared at the fox.

[+]

**Some minutes later**

"Ugh."

"My head."

The Genin and Jonin Kishida groaned as they woke up from their short nap.

"Areku-san." Atsushi began, "Why are we lying on the floor?"

"I… I don't know," Areku answered just as confused as his nephew, "The last thing I remember was a blonde boy and a multi-tailed chibi fox." His voice became lower as he remembered what happened.

"Blonde boy?"

"Multi-tailed fox?"

"NARUTO." They both yelled in unison about to run out in search of said boy when….

"**BWAHAHAHA… Oh Man! That's rich!" **Was heard from the Kitchen.

'Huh?' The two thought before heading towards that section.

[+]

Naruto and Kurama were seated on the dining table (The latter was seating on top of said table) munching on some chicken legs with the former retelling stories of his infamous pranks while the latter roared in laughter.

This was the scene that the two Kishida walked in on.

"Fascinating." Areku muttered before walking over to the miniature fox, the Kishida brought out a measuring tape from thin air and began to measure Kurama's Height, Length, width and fang size.

"Umm Areku-san." Naruto began sweat dropping a little, "I'm sure Kurama didn't come out to receive a medical checkup."

"**You're telling me!" **Kurama said as the Jonin measured his hind legs.

"Interesting." Areku continued ignoring the two.

Atsushi sighed, "Don't worry he will snap out of it… eventually." He said before turning to the blond, "So how is he out again?"

"Well according to Furball here." Kurama growled at the nickname but Naruto ignored him, "He used a version of the Shadow clone jutsu which he calls the Biju clone then transferred his consciousness into said clone and voila here he is."

"Incredible." Areku muttered once again completely oblivious to the world around him while jotting notes in his notepad which the three were sure wasn't there a second again.

"Okay… but why is he out?" Atsushi then asked.

"**Because I'm gonna train the kit for his match." **Kurama answered.

That snapped the Jonin out of whatever trance he was in.

"And how are you going to do that?" Areku asked dropping the notepad, "If someone sees you it could start quite a fright." He revealed.

"He does have a point." Naruto added.

Kurama smirked and was immediately covered by a bubbling red chakra. The chakra grew in height gaining limbs and a humanoid shape, once done it receded revealing a crimson haired man about 6ft tall, tanned skin and exotic red eyes wearing a red and black leather jacket with the kanji for 'Nine' imprinted on the back, brown jeans and finally black boots.

"So what do you think?" Kurama asked in a perfectly human tone.

Areku and Atsushi stared at the red haired then themselves before fainting.

"… I had a feeling that will happen." Kurama mumbled while Naruto grabbed a marker.

[+]

**Two days later**

|A local Inn|

Kin lay down on her room's bed and just stared at the ceiling, she had been discharged yesterday and according to the nurse no one visited her…

Except one Atsushi Kishida.

Not Orochimaru, not Kabuto, not even her teammates but someone who wasn't even connected to her in any way. The Nurse explained that the boy wanted to talk to her but couldn't due to her state of consciousness at the time, if Kin remembered correctly the medical personnel informed that the boy checked up on her at least five times but when Kin asked why…

She didn't get an answer.

[+]

**Five days later (Three weeks until the finals)**

In Training Ground 11 Naruto was seated against the bark of a tree resting up his throat muscles after attempting a fire jutsu, Kurama has been training the Uzumaki in the use of his newly discovered fire affinity which Naruto had acquired from the nine-tailed fox, unfortunately since fire was weak against water it didn't come easy for the Uzumaki as he could only manage a puff of smoke but Naruto was determined to get it right.

Naruto's mornings were spent with Gai and Lee as the two helped the Uzumaki with his speed, Kurama warned that if he wasn't fast enough to evade his opponent's sand he is as good as dead. Atsushi decided to join in with the blonde (Mostly to prevent the two taijutsu maniacs from corrupting the blonde teenager with their flames of youth).

So Naruto's training schedule was…

07:00 – 10:30 = Training with Gai

10:30 – 12:00 = Training Break

12:00 – 15:00 = Ninjutsu training with Kurama

15:00 – 17:45 = Ramen Break with his teammates

17:45 – 06:00 = Rest/ Sleep

Atsushi's own was quite similar except that Ninjutsu was replaced with Kenjutsu, since his opponent made use of a bo-staff Areku began teaching him on how to use a Wakizashi.

Hinata's training was also similar but with no Ninjutsu, just purely Jyuken and chakra control exercises. Hiashi was impressed by his daughter's rapid improvement especially in the use of a watered down version Eight Trigrams: 64 Palms and Palm Rotation, he was also surprised to know that Hinata was modifying the Gentle Fist to suit her Primary Water Affinity.

Their Gentle Fist style is suited for somebody who is grounded and firm. That is why most Hyuga clan members have earth as their primary element, unfortunately Hinata had water as her primary and earth as her secondary so she was more flexible and free than the rest of her clan members. Because of this fact Hiashi realized that Hinata would never be a true master of the Gentle fist even if she is able to learn it, so after a few minutes of pondering he decided to help her renovate the Gentle Fist a bit. **[1]**

Sasuke and Kakashi were at a secret location, the latter was helping the former with his speed, use of his Sharingan and lightning affinity.

[+]

**One Week Later (2 weeks until the Finals)**

|Hokage Tower|

Hiruzen Sarutobi was busy going through the never ending piles of paperwork on top his desk when he was interrupted by the opening of his office window. A tall man with white spiky hair jumped in, he wore a green kimono, matching green pants and a red haori. He also had a large scroll attached to his back and on his head was a forehead protector with the kanji for 'Oil' written on it.

"Paperwork is a pain, right sensei?" The man asked casually, a small grin on his face.

"Yes it is, Jiraiya-kun." Hiruzen answered sourly before gaining a smile at the end, "I see you got my letter."

Jiraiya nodded, "After reading it I headed here as fast as I could," He paused, "So Orochimaru is back eh?"

The Third nodded sadly, "He is trying to mark the Uchiha but I'm sure he's planning something big."

"Well according to my informants, the teme is involved with the new village: Otogakure, but I'm not certain by how much," The Sennin answered, "He could possibly be the damn leader of the village."

Hiruzen groaned at hearing that, "I knew something was fishy when that village requested entrance for the exams… And it also explains why he disguised himself as one of their Jonin-sensei."

"Why not interrogate one of their ninjas?"

"We can't because they are all gone."

"Gone? You mean they disappeared without trace?"

"That or they are probably hiding somewhere but our ninja are on the lookout."

"You don't think that he's planning an Invasion… do you?" Jiraiya asked.

"I'm certain." Hiruzen answered, "Jiraiya due to recent events I hereby dismiss you from your duties outside the village until otherwise."

"You want me to dig up as much information as possible on what Snake-teme is planning." Jiraiya assumed.

"That is correct." The Sarutobi confirmed, "And once this is all over I will introduce you to a special someone."

Jiraiya smiled a bit, "I will be looking forward to it." With that the Toad sage left through the window.

Once he was gone, the Hokage's smile dropped a bit, 'I need to fix my relationship with Naruto.' He thought, "Neko summon Naruto Uzumaki."

[+]

|Training Ground 11|

"Fire Style: Fox Fire!" Naruto spat out a fox shaped fireball which promptly incinerated a training dummy.

"Good power and control." Kurama complimented, the Fox was in his human form supervising over the Uzumaki, "Keep that up and you will be ready for the flame bombs."

"I can't wait-" He was cut off by an ANBU appearing in a puff of smoke.

"Naruto Uzumaki, the Hokage wishes to see you." A cat masking wearing ANBU announced, the Uzumaki and disguised fox shared a look before the former sighed.

"I'll be there, Neko-san." The ANBU nodded before vanishing in a shinshun.

"Well we are done for today." Kurama said while dissipating into red chakra and returning into the seal.

Naruto sighed before heading over to the tower.

[+]

**Some Time Later**

Naruto stood before the Hokage's door contemplating whether to knock or not. This happened to be the first time that he was visiting the old man after finding out the identities of his parents a few months ago.

"You wanted to see me Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked after stepping in.

"Ah yes Naruto-kun, please take a seat we have much to talk about." Hiruzen replied then made a hand motion sending his ANBU away.

"**Not all of them left." **Kurama pointed out.

"There's an ANBU behind the bookcase." Naruto notified. Hiruzen's eyes widened before he vanished in a burst of speed and yanked the hidden ANBU out into the open and threw him to the ground.

"ROOT." Hiruzen muttered as he saw the mask. He called back his ANBU to have him taken away to Ibiki and Inoichi.

"You've grown stronger Naruto, I didn't even sense him." Hiruzen praised.

"I have been training, Hokage-sama." Naruto answered, the 'Hokage-sama' part made the senior frown.

"Naruto what's wrong? You haven't visited me in quite some time now and you usually call me Jiji."

The Uzumaki took a deep breath and said, "I know who my parents are."

Hiruzen's eyes widened before he sighed and activated the privacy seals, "So you found out, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"I read up that only an Uzumaki can be the container of the Kyubi no Kitsune which the latter confirmed saying that I'm the third one to have contained him." Hiruzen nodded already knowing that fact, he also knew that Kyubi could communicate with its container so that wasn't a surprise to him.

"Please go on." He urged.

Naruto nodded, "I did some research and found out that the only Uzumaki in Konoha around the period before my birth was one Kushina Uzumaki who was rumored to be in a relationship with the Fourth."

"Actually they were married but it was hidden away from the public for obvious reasons." Hiruzen explained.

"So why wasn't I told? Why did you lie to me all these years?" Naruto asked angrily, he had suppressing a lot of anger and disappointment after discovering this interesting secret.

"Naruto-kun, I wanted to tell you about your parents, I really did, but you were already in so much danger that I didn't want to put an even bigger target on your back," Hiruzen said. "I was planning on telling you after you became Chunin. Then I felt that you would be able to handle the responsibility."

"What do you mean bigger target?" Naruto asked curiously.

"If we revealed to everyone that you're Minato's son, his enemies will hunt you down or they will want to use you to get their hands on his property."

Remembering what his dad did to end the Third Shinobi War Naruto perfectly understood, "But what about my mother?"

"Kumo." Hiruzen answered quickly, "After the destruction of Uzushiogakure in the Second War, the Hidden Cloud Village has been on the lookout for the remaining members of the Uzumaki clan mostly likely because of their special chakra, they once snuck into this every village just to abduct Kushina but were stopped by Minato."

Naruto nodded sadly as he recalled reading the demise of his mother's village, Konoha and Arashi were occupied on the western front with Iwa and Suna respectively that they weren't paying attention to the East until Whirpool was surprise-attacked by combined Kumo-Kiri forces. Eventually Iwa and Suna were defeated in the end but by then it was already too late to save Uzu.

"I'm sorry for lying to you all this time but I will find a way to make it up to." Hiruzen promised. "Anyway, I do have some good news for you Naruto."

"What is it?" Naruto asked enthusiastically.

"Your Godfather has arrived." Hiruzen informed.

"I have a godfather?" Naruto's face fell.

'**Ok just how many people abandoned this kit?' **Kurama asked himself.

The Third once again sighed sadly, "He's Jiraiya of the Sannin and before you come up with any ideas, it's partially my fault that he was around all these time."

Naruto blinked in confusion, "Your fault?" Hiruzen nodded, "But how?"

"Jiraiya owns a spy network which is invaluable to Konoha's safety, so I offered to take care of you while he ran his spy network, unfortunately he can't see you now thanks to certain events but once this all passes over I will introduce you to him."

"I see." Naruto paused before adding, "I won't hold it up against either of you."

"That's all I ask… so how about I treat you to some ramen." Hiruzen offered.

The Uzumaki perked up slightly, "I thought you will never ask, Jiji."

[+]

**One week later (One week until finals)**

|On a hill, somewhere within Konoha|

Shikamaru was laid down on lush green grass doing his usual stuff: Cloud Watching when…

"Hey you!" A loud voice called out.

The Nara lifted his head to a seemly familiar blonde heading towards him, "Can I help you?"

She stopped and narrowed her eyes, "Actually yes you can?"

"With what?" He asked lazily.

She grinned then cracked her knuckles, "A little sparring match?"

Shikamaru lazily raised a brow, "You're my opponent in the finals, Temani right?"

"It's Temari." She corrected. "And yes I'm your opponent."

'Just what I need, a good-looking and troublesome sand kunoichi who wants to fight me before our match.' Shikamaru thought sarcastically, "Then why do want to fight me now? The finals are just a week away?"

"I noticed that you weren't training for our upcoming match? Is it because you think I'm an easy opponent?" She asked with a hidden tone which promised pain if he answered incorrectly.

Luckily for Shikamaru he saw right through it, "No, I watched the preliminaries and you aren't weak."

"But that doesn't explain why you aren't training?" Temari pointed out.

"It's because training is way too troublesome."

"Excuse me?"

"I actually didn't want to make it to the finals and making chunin will mean doing more tasks and missions."

"So summary is that you're lazy?"

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious."

"It is pretty noticeable." The sand kunoichi shrugged, "Any way we are still going to spar."

The Nara sighed at her persistence, "Fine." He got up and stretched a bit, "You ready?"

"Hai." Temari replied before reaching for her fan, just as she was about to grab it she noticed that she couldn't move, "What?"

"Shadow Possession Jutsu is a success." Shikamaru's shadow had already stretched out and caught her's, "Looks like I win."

'I can't believe he caught me under seconds.' Temari thought, "All right you win, now let me go."

Shikamaru instead smirked, it wasn't everyday you had a hot-looking blonde girl at your mercy. Mimicking his movement he sat back down compelling her to same. "Since you came all this way why not stick around for a while."

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" She panicked because there was no one around for miles and he had her sitting down next to him on the grass. "You pervert! If you try anything I will-"

Shikamaru chuckled cutting her off, "Relax, you will just watch clouds with me for a few minutes then I will let you go."

"Watch clouds?"

"Yea clouds, you know those white fluffy pillows of the sky." He pointed out.

Temari stared at him with amazement, "So you spend your free time watching clouds? Not on training or working on jutsu but clouds?"

"That's right." He answered before lying on the grass promptly Temari to do the same.

"You really are a lazy fellow." She deadpanned.

"I thought we established that minutes ago."

Temari laughed at that. "I guess we did."

"Nice laugh by the way." Shikamaru unconsciously complimented.

Temari turned and gave him an evil grin, "Flirting won't make me go easy on you during our match."

"I know."

"That doesn't bother you?"

"Why would it?"

Temari didn't know how to answer that so she keep quiet, the silence reigned for a few minutes until…

"I have released my jutsu so you're free to go." Shikamaru informed expecting her to get and leave but surprisingly she didn't, "I said you can go."

"I heard you." She replied then sighed, "It's just that I'm mostly on my own. My teammates and Sensei are always occupied with their own stuff, plus I have done nothing but train these past three weeks so I'm bored and I guess watching cloud is a bit refreshing."

"Don't forget entertaining." The Nara added.

"And beside you aren't as annoying as most guys in my village?"

Now Shikamaru was curious, "How so?"

"Well they are always trying to prove that they are better than me and the fact that I'm the Kazekage's daughter makes them think I'm so sort of prize to be claimed."

"Sounds troublesome."

"Yeah it is." She paused before asking, "So how about you?"

"My life isn't as interesting as you might think."

"I still want to know." She pressed on.

Shikamaru sighed, "I'm the heir of the Nara clan, we use shadow jutsus to take control over our opponent's body and we love playing shogi."

"… Will you be able to bring one tomorrow?" She asked quietly.

"You play shogi?" The nod he received surprised the Nara, "Ok then."

"Thanks."

The two laid back down and resumed their cloud watching.

[+]

**A/N: **Finally done with this chapter.

I glad that you all enjoyed the previous chapter, this chapter was focused on training and others so it won't be as interesting as the former but not all chapters are meant to be action packed.

[1] – I changed her affinities to Water and Earth.

**/Answers to some questions found in the reviews/**

\- Naruto does know about the Uzumaki clan, that's how he was able to recognize Karin during the second exams.

\- He won't be getting the chakra chains, he is going to be badass without it.

\- Hinata learning ninjutsu… that will be decided during the chunin exams.

\- Hinata learning medical jutsu? Maybe?

See you later.

Next Chapter: It's Showtime.

Read & Review

Total number of words: 5468 Words

Jamesco1292002


	16. Chapter 16

"Talking"

"Thoughts"

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast talking"**

"**Tailed Beast Thinking"**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**Chapter 16: It's Showtime**

[+]

**15 days until the finals**

|Secret Base within the Land of Fire|

Kin groaned as she woke up with the mother of all headaches, once her consciousness had fully returned she realized that she was stark naked and completely submerged in a strange liquid contained by a human sized glass tube, her only source of oxygen was provided by the breathing mask she wore.

'What the hell happened and how did I get in here?' She thought as she glanced around the lab, some meters north from her container she spotted three more human sized glass tubes which were also occupied but thanks to the distance between she couldn't tell who occupied them.

"Looks like you're awake," A man wearing a white lab coat said as he walked up to her container, the Senbon user felt uncomfortable as his eyes roamed over her naked body before settling on her face, "Now since you're awake you will experience the full pain of the genetic manipulation." He added before moving over to some controls.

'Genetic mani-AARRRGH…' Kin screamed as an unbearable pain shot through her body, the scientist laughed sinisterly then went on the check up on the other test subjects.

Over the next several hours Kin and the other test subjects thrashed in anguish as the scientist continued to observe the genetic manipulation process.

[+]

**One week until the finals**

|Konoha|

**Close to Midnight**

"I was afraid that you would never show up."

"I had to make sure that I wasn't followed."

"Fair enough." Kabuto chuckled. "So how are the preparations coming along?"

"Smoothly, but if it appears that Oto is failing, then Suna will withdraw." Baki informed.

"Don't worry, Orochimaru-sama is providing an excellent number of shinobi with great skills," Kabuto reassured him. "Now then, can you tell me about our secret weapon, I never got the chance to gather the enough information."

"Fair enough." Baki began. "Gaara Sabaku is the Jinchuriki of the Ichibi no Tanuki. With the beast's power, he has the ultimate defense in the whole world. The only time he has even been hurt was during the Preliminaries where that Sound Genin fought him."

"Ah, on behalf of Orochimaru-sama I sincerely apologize for that." Kabuto bowed.

"No worry, Gaara took care of the brat." Baki said dismissing the apology.

"I'm sure he did." Kabuto chuckled before handing him a scroll, "Here are the plans but first shouldn't one of us take care of our little rat."

Hayate's eyes widened as he realized that he had been discovered. He quickly took to the rooftops with the aim of losing them but didn't get far as he was caught by the Suna Jonin.

"Mr. Examiner? What are you doing here?" Baki questioned.

"Looks like there (cough) is no other choice." Hayate sighed as he drew his sword, "Crescent Moon Dance!" He swung the sword at Baki creating a series of afterimages associated with the move. However his attack only dug an inch into Baki's shoulder pad.

"Hmm so that is the Dance of the Crescent Moon." Baki said impressed "To have mastered such a skill at such a young age is nothing to laugh at," The Sand Jonin praised. "However, I'm afraid it ends here." Baki then formed a blade of wind and raised it up.

However, before Hayate could be attacked he was pushed out of the way. Baki slashed the thin air a couple of times and left.

Hayate stared at the red head that saved him, "Who are you and what just happened?"

"My name is of no importance right now, just know that I'm on your side and what happened was that I hit him with a special genjutsu that made it seem like he killed you." The disguised biju answered as he offered the man a hand. He had told Naruto that he could leave the seal anytime he wanted and that the Uzumaki can easily make him return to the seal with a simple hand seal but once Naruto realized that the fox had been coupled up in the seal for more than a hundred years he gave the fox some freedom.

"Thanks." Hayate replied accepting the help, "You aren't from (Cough) around here right?"

"I just got here recently and you might wanna inform the Hokage about what you just heard." Kurama said trying to ease away the man's suspicions.

Hayate stared at him for a few seconds before nodding, "Yes, you're right about that."

With that the two men departed their separate ways occupied with their own thoughts…

'I can't believe Suna decided to betray us!'

'If Shukaku is going to be unleashed then it's time for the kit to sign the Fox Summoning Contract.'

Both were unaware of the toad which dispelled itself after witnessing all that occurred.

[+]

**Mid-day**

|Far away from Konoha, Training Grounds ?|

"Your speed is improving, but until you're able to dodge all of my attacks, you aren't fast enough." Kakashi told him in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"I know." Sasuke grunted in response, still breathing heavily. The Uchiha's body was covered in bruises and cuts after the long sparring session against the Jonin.

"I'm attacking you at what I can assume will be Lee's speed by the time of the third exam. You need to be able to match it if you want to stand a chance against him." Kakashi explained.

"I guess so." Sasuke sighed, thinking back to the time he and Lee had fought before the First Exams. The reason for his loss was that his body wasn't able to match Lee's quick movements and attacks. His Sharingan were fast enough to predict Lee's movement, but the Sasuke himself wasn't fast enough to counter them.

"Are you ready to continue form where we were?" The masked jonin questioned.

"… Yeah." The Uchiha nodded in agreement. A smirk appeared on the Uchiha's face. "Let's get back to work."

"Good." Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "Remember to keep your Sharingan active again. Your eyes will follow my movements so you can fully react."

"Got it Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke replied as he activated his Sharingan and assumed the inspector fist stance.

"Good. Then let's begin again." His sensei said, getting into a stance of his own.

[+]

|Hyuga Main House, Dojo|

"You finally did it."Hiashi said with prideful tone in his voice.

Hinata smiled weakly as she lay down on the floor of the dojo, Kunai and shuriken was shattered across the floor after being deflected by her Rotation (Kaiten).

Yes you read that not Fuzen Kaiten (Partial Rotation) but the Rotation, she finally performed the move.

"As a reward you can take the rest of the day off." Hiashi offered but Hinata nodded negatively. "You want to keep on training?"

"Hai, but on a different jutsu." Hinata said before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a piece of paper.

Hiashi accepted the paper and studied it for a while, "I've never heard of this Jutsu before." He said before glancing at his daughter, "Is this an original Jutsu you have been working on?"

"Yes, it is." Hinata nodded, "The idea came to me when I was studying the rotation."** [1]**

"Hmm… According to this the user emits razor sharp chakra streams from the palms plus it seems to be both an offensive and defensive jutsu." Hiashi remained silent as he contemplated the jutsu. 'If we can make this work and Hinata uses successfully during the finals the elders…'

"Umm father?" Hinata asked slightly worried about her father's sudden silence.

"Have you tried experimenting on this?" The Hyuga clan head asked curiously.

"A little." The Heiress nodded, "And I have also developed a name for the jutsu." She also added fidgeting a bit with her fingers.

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"I was thinking of calling it the 'Protective Eight Trigrams 64 Palms'." Hinata meekly said.

Hiashi actually gained a smile at the name, "Sound perfect, I hope we can design it Hinata."

[+]

**4 days later (3 days until the Finals)**

|Hokage Tower|

"Atoniji-san, it has been a while." Hiruzen greeted the cyan-haired Yosokage, "I hope your travel went well."

"It went well for the most part, just a few interruptions along the way but the scenery was good." Atoniji responded before gaining a smile, "So what's it like ruling the No 1. Shinobi village?"

Hiruzen groaned at the question, "It going great once you rule out the paperwork."

"It can be that bad?"

"Excuse me Hokage-sama, Yosokage-san but there is a couple of paperwork that needs to be checked." The secretary informed, Hiruzen sighed then gestured to her to bring them in.

The lady nodded and Atoniji's jaw dropped as she (Using a wheelbarrow) wheeled in some piles of paperwork before placing them on the desk, "That's all for now Hokage-sama, expect more by the nightfall." She said before leaving.

The 36 year old Yosokage stared at the piles in shock, if placed on top of one another he was sure that they surpassed the ceiling, "Dear Kami." He gaped.

"You haven't seen anything." Hiruzen sighed before grabbing a pen, "What till Arashigakure becomes a Great Shinobi Village."

Atoniji for the first time since he became Yosokage shivered, "That won't happen unless Suna or Kiri messes up." He said trying to assure himself.

"You never know what the future holds." Hiruzen replied as he grabbed one of the papers.

For the first time in his life Atoniji wasn't looking forward to that.

[+]

**Day of the Finals**

|Chunin Exam Stadium|

The final exam was taking place in a large stadium. The 40,000 capacity stadium was packed with many different visitors as well as residents of Konoha. Everyone who entered found their seats and waited for the third exam to start.

Those who weren't at the stadium were sitted at home watching the live broadcast over their TV sets.

At the top of the stadium, there was a raised sitting-area where the different kages would sit to observe the exams. The Hokage and the Yosokage were seated down engaged in a conversation. Their two bodyguards were standing behind them.

Just then, the Kazekage arrived with two of his own guards.

"I hope your trip through the desert wasn't difficult Kazekage-dono," Hiruzen said as he greeted the masked man.

"It was fine Hokage-dono, I would be more worried if you had to make the trip in your age," the Kazekage replied. "Shouldn't you be looking for a successor?"

Hiruzen laughed and told him, "I plan on keeping this hat on my head for a couple more years."

The 'Kazekage' then turned to Atoniji. "It is a pleasure to see you as well Yosokage-dono. I had not expected you would send a team to a Konoha exam."

"Well we are in need of clients." The Yosokage replied but on the inside he was suspicious, 'Something isn't right, The Kazekage usually never acknowledged my presence.'

Hiruzen was staring intensively at the 'Kazekage. _'Do you really think you could fool me Orochimaru? It does not matter if you shed your skin a thousand times, you still reek of snakes and death! Not to mention you act nothing like the Yondaime Kazekage!'_

_"Well we are all here so why don't we start this now Hokage-dono." The Kazekage said._

"Indeed. I guess it is time!" Hiruzen noted with a chuckle. He got out of his seat and walked forward to the edge of the seating area. He was standing in a place where everyone in the arena could see him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, visitors and residents of Konohagakure no Sato, thank you all for coming today." The Hokage announced after using Voice Amplification Jutsu to get everyone's attention, "It's now time for the final part of this year's Chunin Exams! The matches will begin in a few minutes. I hope you enjoy the matches and have a good day. Now, without further ado, I present to you our exam proctor as well as the twelve genin who qualified for the final part of the exam!"

[+]

|Arena|

After the Hokage spoke, the twelve genin that qualified for the third exam walked forward into the arena. They stood in the battlefield for the third exam. Each genin received a loud applause from the audience in the arena stands. (Sasuke was also present, the Uchiha threatened to burn the Jonin's entire Icha Icha book collection if he arrived a second late and Kakashi couldn't tell if the Uchiha was bluffing or not.)

Shortly after everyone arrived, a man entered the arena. He had brown shoulder-length hair and wore a Konoha forehead protector as a bandana over his hair. He wore the standard jonin uniform and had a senbon in his mouth.

"My name is Genma Shiranui and I will be the proctor of the third exam." The man, Genma, introduced himself to everyone.

"… Huh?" Himari said in confusion. "But didn't we have a different proctor for the preliminaries. What happened to him?"

"Yes, what happened to Hayate-san?" Lee asked in concern.

"… That doesn't concern you all." Genma answered dismissively.

Naruto was also confused by the change in proctor but his tenant wasn't.

'**I see, Hayate was told to lay low so that the enemy wouldn't think that their plans have been compromised… smart move.' **Kurama praised mentally.

"Anyway, I suppose you all remember the order of the fights, correct?" Genma questioned. Seeing everyone nod caused him to continue to talk. "Then we can get started. The first match will be between Neji Hyuga and Hinata Hyuga. You two, remain here in battlefield. Everyone else, head on up to the waiting area where you will be able to watch the matches."

The remaining ten genin nodded in understanding then left, Naruto wished the Hyuga girl good luck before joining the others.

"Alright then, the rules are the same as the Preliminaries, but I'll remind you what they were anyway." Genma said as he stood between the two. "In this arena, my word is law, you will fight you opponent until one of you forfeits, is knocked out, or dies. Killing your opponent is frowned upon, but not against the rules. If I say that the match is over then it's over, you will step away from your opponent or I will be forced to take drastic measures. Understood?"

"Hai," both Hyugas said as they got into their respective stances. Neji entered the standard gentle fist stance while Hinata entered a similar but more flexible variant of the stance. Neji's eyebrow rose as he noticed the slight changes.

"You modified the Gentle Fist stance?"

"Yes Nii-san."

"You know that wouldn't help you in this fight?"

Hinata gained a small smile, "Then why don't you come and find out?"

"Why you…" Neji calmed down, "It doesn't matter how hard you train, if fate decrees you a failure then you're a failure. Nobody can change their destiny."

"Well I believe one can if they try hard enough." Hinata shot back.

[+]

|Waiting Box|

'That's my girl.' Naruto thought and Kurama rolled his eyes at it.

'**Now he admits that she's his vixen.' ** The Biju mumbled to himself before grabbing an oversized bucket of pop-corn while watching the giant plasma screen in the Uzumaki's mindscape.

[+]

|Somewhere in the stands|

The clan elders of the Hyuga clan all sat together in the stands of the arena along with Hiashi and his youngest daughter, Hanabi. They were staring at the arena with their full attention. It was now time to see the heiress of the Main Branch fight the prodigy of the Branch family. The elders started to whisper to each other about their predictions and expectations for the upcoming fight.

"Watch this fight closely, Hanabi." Hiashi requested to his daughter. "There is no fight you can learn more from than this one right here."

"Right." Hanabi nodded in understanding. "Who do you think will win, father?"

Hiashi did not respond immediately, as he truly pondered that question. He had been asking this question since he started his training with Hinata. For the first week, he knew that his nephew would be the one who would be victorious. Now, however, he watched his eldest daughter reveal a whole new side to her that he was unaware existed. He saw the full extent of her determination and strength. There was no denying that Hinata was much stronger than he had ever expected her to be. He had earned her respect no matter what, even if she lost.

"… We shall see once it starts." Hiashi finally answered.

Hanabi resisted the urge to frown at her father's answer. Instead, she turned her attention to the center of the battlefield.

[+]

"BEGIN!"

Genma jumped back and out of the way to avoid the two Hyuga as they charged forward, clashing palms as soon as they got within striking distance. Hinata and Neji continued to clash palms for a minute before jumping back.

'15 to my 13, My aim is good but I'm still not as fast as he is.' Hinata thought as she stared at the red dots all over her and her cousin's person.

"I'll admit, you've gotten stronger Hinata-sama," Neji said also staring at the red dots, "but a failure is still a failure,"

Hinata just sighed, "Is it so hard to believe that someone could get stronger?" She asked.

Neji scoffed at the question then charged at his cousin once more. Hinata quickly side-stepped out of the way and attempted to strike him with a palm strike but the senior Hyuga blocked it with his arm and proceeded to attack her this time aiming for her chest. Hinata bent backward dodging the palm as it went over her face, she then placed her hands on the ground and pushed upwards kicking her opponent square on the chest creating some distance between them.

"Water Style: Water Bullets!" Hinata then spat out a barrage of water bullets from her mouth aimed directly at her cousin.

[+]

|Jonin Observation Box|

Kakashi turned to his co-jonin, "Did you…"

"No." Areku replied cutting his off.

"Then where did she learn that." The Cyclops then asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine." The Kishida then added mentally, 'Though I have an idea of who.'

[+]

Meanwhile off in the combatants' waiting box, a certain blonde Uzumaki was whistling innocently.

"Ruto."Atsushi called. **[2]**

"Yes, Sushi?" Naruto turned to his green friend.

"What did you do?"

"I have no idea what you talking."

"Really now." Atsushi glared at the blonde, "Because you always whistle whenever you've pranked someone or done something you shouldn't have done."

"Trust me it's neither."

"Hmm…" Atsushi hummed before focusing on the two fighters.

[+]

|Battle|

Neji proceeded to dodge every single water bullet before glaring at his opponent, "First you modify our stance then you make use of elemental ninjutsu, when will you stop dragging the Hyuga name into the mud?"

"I'm not dragging any name into mud, Neji-niisan. I just want my fighting style to be as varied as possible." Hinata explained before reassuming her stance. "Shall we continue?"

"Hmph."

Taking that as a yes Hinata charged forward but Neji predicted her aim and dodged before managing to strike a tenketsu at her left shoulder. Hinata winced in pain but countered by delivering a strike of her own at a tenketsu in Neji's right arm before the boy could jump away from her.

Neji attempted to charge once again but was forced to jump backwards as Hinata spat out another barrage of water bullets. 'She is keeping me at a distance but why?'

The answer soon came when Hinata threw a shuriken then made some hand seals, "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Neji's eyes widen as the shuriken multiplied by thirty.

'No! _I can't believe I was forced to use this against you, Hinata-sama. I was hoping to save this ace up my sleeve for a later fight, but it can't be helped.'_ Neji thought bitterly as he started to spin in place. "Rotation!"

A dome of chakra appeared and deflected every single shuriken off its target.

[+]

"THERE'S NO WAY!" One of the elders nearly screeched.

"Father… wasn't that …" Hanabi mumbled in surprise.

"The Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation. A jutsu known exclusively to the main branch of the Hyuga." Hiashi replied. 'Neji, you really are a genius to have learned such a jutsu by yourself… Hizashi would be proud.'

[+]

|Waiting Box|

"Didn't Hinata say that only members of the Main branch can perform that move?" Sasuke asked his teammates speaking up for the first time since he arrived.

"She did." Atsushi replied.

"Then how can Neji-teme do it when Hinata can't?" Naruto asked as he gripped the railings.

[+]

"Neji… That was…" Hinata's eyes were wide in surprise.

"Yes, it was." Neji nodded, answering Hinata's unfinished question.

"How do you know that move?"

"I reverse engineered it after watching several members of the Main Branch performing it." Neji answered as a cocky smirk developed on his face. "Ironic, isn't it? You, a member of the main household can't-"

"Rotation!" Hinata spun creating a similar chakra dome, Neji suddenly gained a shocked expression at the sight.

"B-b-but that's impossible you shouldn't be to."

"Perform the Rotation or Change fate? Like you did?" Hinata asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Fate put you in the branch family," She explained, "Yet you fought back and learned a technique reserved for the main household. You didn't let fate hold your genius back; you kept trying and learned something outside of what fate limited you on." Hinata smiled towards the end. "You defeated your own fate."

"That is a lie, fate decreed that I was to learn this technique just as it has decreed you a failure. Nobody can change fate Hinata-sama!" he said her name with venom, "My father couldn't, I can't and neither can you."

'Neji-niisan…' Hinata thought sadly.

"You are within my field of divination Hinata-sama." Neji declared as he lowered himself into a particular stance, one that every Main branch Hyuga knew.

Hinata's eyes widened as she recognized the stance. 'What! First the Rotation and now-'

"Eight Trigrams: 64 Palms!" Neji cried as he dashed towards Hinata.

"Two P-AARGH!" Just as Neji was about to initiate the technique, Hinata kicked her feet upwards and nailed him right in the gut with a Gentle fist enhanced kick which staggered him.

'What?! She incorporated the Jyuken with her feet.' Neji thought before he spat some blood.

"You're within my range of divination Neji-niisan." Hinata declared as she assumed a particular stance, "Eight Trigrams: 64 Palms!"

Neji could only stare in shock as Hinata assaulted him with a barrage of Jyuken strikes.

"Two Palms! Four Palms! Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms! Thirty-two Palms! Sixty-four Palms!" Hinata finished with a Jyuken strike to the chest which sent Neji flying backwards. The elder Hyuga hit the ground hard then rolled for a few seconds before he finally coming to a stop. With the technique complete, Hinata knelt down panting heavily: a sign that she still needed to work on the technique. 'Please let that be it.' She thought.

Neji weakly groaned as he struggled to get back up but couldn't, "No, this can't be!"

"The winner of the first match is Hinata Hyuga of Konohagakure!" Genma declared as the stadium erupted into cheers which made the poor girl blush in embarrassment.

[+]

|Waiting Box|

"I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT HINATA-CHAN!" Naruto cheered loudly as he reached out to grab the nearest person, Sasuke quickly substituted himself with Atsushi who became victim to a vigorous shaking.

"No way..." Lee whispered. "Neji lost!"

"Wow that girl sure is something." Eito whistled, "I wonder if she will agree to be my girlfriend?" He wondered out loud.

Naruto stopped shaking his now nausea-tic friend and glared at the native Kishida, Himari elbowed said teammate in the ribs then whispered, "She has the Byakugan so it won't work out."

"Yeah I know." Eito replied sadly.

Once Atsushi had gotten the feeling of sickness out of his system, he sent a glare at the Uchiha who mouthed 'I'm sorry' but by the look of the smug on his face didn't mean it.

[+]

|Arena|

"Neji-niisan." Hinata called out to her cousin as he was being lifted by the medics.

"I was wrong about you, Hinata-sama!" Neji began as he stared at his cousin no longer with eyes of hate but acceptance, "You were not the failure I saw; I was. I failed to read your fate, and this was the result of my incompetence."

"No Neji, you were right. I used to be a failure but I'm not anymore." She stood up and walked over to him, "I have friends who helped me get my confidence." She smiled at the mental image of a blonde Uzumaki which came to mind, "Because of them I have gotten stronger and trained harder than I could ever imagined. And for the first time in my life, I can say that I'm not as weak as everyone thought."

"THAT'S DAMN RIGHT!" Hinata's blush intensified at the Uzumaki's yell which she was sure that everyone heard.

[+]

|Stands|

As soon as Neji was escorted out of the battlefield on his stretcher, Hiashi stood up from his place in the stands. Hanabi quickly looked over to her father.

"Father? Where are you going?" She asked him.

"I have something to attend to. It won't take long." He replied quietly as he walked off.

Hanabi sighed then looked around, all of the clan elders were talking amongst themselves about what they thought of the match. Realizing that none of them was monitoring how she was acting, she allowed a large grin developed on her face.

[+]

|Arena|

"The second match will be between Shikamaru Nara and Temari Sabaku!" Genma announced. Temari jumped over the railing and flew down onto the arena on her giant fan.

Shikamaru stood up straight then quietly walked down to the arena much to the surprise and shock of the Genin and their Jonin-sensei.

"He didn't even say troublesome!" Naruto whispered to his teammates as Shikamaru joined Temari down in the battlefield.

"You ready lazy?" Temari asked as she gripped her giant folding fan, "Because this time I won't lose!"

"That's what you said the last time." Shikamaru replied with a yawn.

'Have these two fought before?' Genma asked himself before announcing, "Second match between Shikamaru Nara and Temari Sabaku… BEGIN!" Genma leapt out of the way as the match started.

"Ninja Art: Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Temari quickly opened up her fan and sent a tunneling blast of wind at Shikamaru, the lazy Nara quickly jumped out of the way and into the trees. A shadow quickly darted out of said trees and Temari jumped back to avoid it, the shadow then stopped at a certain distance and Temari then made a mark in the dirt with her fan.

"About 15 meters," Temari said as she judged the distance between her and Shikamaru. "Looks like this is your limit. All I have to do is stay behind this line and bombard you with my Jutsu until you either surrender, or get knocked unconscious."

_'There goes my original plan,' _Shikamaru sighed. _'Looks like it won't be a quick victory for me this time.'_ He quickly hid behind a tree as Temari began to pepper him with blasts of wind from her oversized fan.

Being the genius that he was, Shikamaru began to undo his vest. He tied both ends together with a kunai, making a makeshift balloon which he threw into the air, since he was behind a tree Temari didn't notice him launching the balloon.

The Suna Kunoichi sighed as she swung her fan once more. She was starting to get tired of just blasting the trees, lucky for her Shikamaru countered as his shadow darted towards her again but stopped at the mark.

Temari sighed at the failed attempt and was about to comment when she saw a small circular shadow appear on the floor, she looked up and saw that Shikamaru's jacket was floating in the air tied to a kunai. Quickly realizing what her opponent was up to, she looked down and saw Shikamaru's shadow speeding towards her after it connected with the jacket's shadow. She quickly jumped back a great distance until the shadow stopped.

"Nice try." Temari said as she landed. "But you'll have to do better than that in order to beat me."

Shikamaru sighed as he mentally marked that plan as a failure. He pulled out several kunai with explosion tags and threw them at Temari from behind the tree. The Suna Genin batted them away with the wind, but some tags still landed on their target which was the ground in front of Temari creating a smokescreen. Temari was about to use a wind jutsu to disperse the smokescreen when she noticed that she couldn't move.

'No!'

"Shadow Possession Jutsu is a success!" Shikamaru smirked as he lowly released his hand, forcing her to drop her fan. He then walked them both until they stood 6 feet away.

"I guess you win again." Temari said accepting her defeat.

"I guess." Shikamaru shrugged which she also did.

"Well are you going to finish it?"

"Oh I will but first." He grabbed the hem of his shirt which Temari mirrored and began to lift up slightly.

"What the hell are you doing?" Temari yelled, her face colored red. The audience chuckled at the antics of the Nara while his teammates, family, friends and Sensei were left speechless or had their mouths gaping.

"Just kidding." Shikamaru said letting go of his shirt which made his opponent relieved as she mirrored the action. The Nara then lazily glanced around before raising his hand.

"I forfeit." He declared canceling his jutsu.

Temari rolled her eyes as a collective gasp was heard from the audience. 'Why am I not surprised?' The fan user thought.

"Winner: Temari Sabaku of Sunagakure!"

[+]

|Waiting Box|

"I had a feeling he would do that." Naruto sighed.

"Well he is a Nara after all." Atsushi said. "It's a wonder he lasted this long." He added.

"But in a sense he did actually win." Sasuke commented.

Naruto stared at him, "How? He forfeited?"

"Because Dobe if this was a mission, another leaf nin would have dealt the finishing blow since she was practically immobilized." Sasuke answered with an audible sigh towards the end.

Naruto's mouth formed an 'O' shape as Sasuke's explanation sank in, "Well that explains it but I still think he shouldn't have given up."

[+]

|Somewhere among the Audience|

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THE NERVE OF THAT SHIKAMARU!" Ino yelled angrily from her place in the stands, "SOMEONE ELSE SHOULD HAVE HAD HIS SPOT IN THE EXAMS! HOW DARE HE JUST QUIT WHEN SOMEONE LIKE ME OR CHOJI WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY FOUGHT UNTIL THE VERY END!"

Those around her had their ears covered wondering if she was using a voice amplification jutsu on herself.

"Ino… I'd appreciate you not trash-talk my friend in front of me, please." Choji requested Ino strictly.

The two genin members of Team 10 then proceeded to argue amongst each other about Shikamaru: with Ino demeaning the Nara while Choji defended him fervently.

[+]

"I forgot how loud Ino could be." Atsushi said placing his arms by the sides, "She even louder than you Naruto."

"She must have some powerful lungs to yell like that." Naruto replied after cleaning his ear with his pinkie. "I noticed that you didn't call her Ino-chan?"

The resident Kishida shrugged in reply, "You weren't the only one who got over their crush these past months."

"Will Eito Kishida of Arashigakure and Sakura Haruno of Konohagakure please come forward for the third match?" Genma stated loudly.

"Looks the next match is about to start." Hinata said. "Isn't that right Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah, but Sakura's chances of winning are pretty small." Naruto replied as the two combatants took center stage.

"I'm sure she must have thought of something, Naruto-kun."

"Well we will soon find out."

[+]

Omake

|Ichiraku's|

**2 weeks ago**

"AH! That hit the spot." Naruto sighed pleasantly as he lowered the now empty bowl of ramen, "Thanks Jiji, it's been a while since I last had ramen."

Ayame stared at the blonde teenager, "Didn't you have ramen with Atsushi-kun and Hinata-chan yesterday?" She deadpanned causing the boy to blush in embarrassment while Hiruzen chuckled.

"Ayame-neechan!"

"Well its good that you're maintaining a good balanced diet unlike six months ago." Teuchi added, "I hope those cooking books have been helpful."

"Very." Was the blond's reply, preparing other kinds of foods apart from instant ramen were actually fun and yummy too.

The retired ninja then turned his attention towards the Hokage, "It's been an honor to serve you Hokage-sama." Both he and his daughter bowed in respect.

"You don't have to call me Hokage-sama all the time, Hiruzen-san is just fine."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The two replied causing the poor man to sigh in defeat with Naruto chuckling in the background.

"Well I should be heading back to my paperwork." The Sandaime rose up from his seat before facing his some worth pseudo grandson, "Here you go Naruto-kun."

"Huh?" The Uzumaki got out as he received a scroll, "What this for?"

"That contains some techniques which should prove useful to you in the finals." The close to 80 year old Hokage answered, "Feel free to share with your friends."

Overjoyed at the prospect of learning new jutsu the blonde teenager engaged his grandfather figure in a hug which was returned heartily. "Thanks Jiji."

"You're welcome Naruto-kun and I expect great things from you." The old man replied.

Breaking the hug and also wiping a tear form his eye, Naruto replied with determination, "I won't let you down."

"I know you won't." The two shared another brief hug then departed to their various locations."

[+]

**A/N: **So victories for Hinata and Temari, losses for Neji and Shikamaru. This fic is definitely going in the right direction.

The Omake was to explain Naruto's use of some jutsus in the upcoming chapters and where Hinata got Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu from.

Just in case it isn't clear Naruto also showed Hinata how to perform Water Style: Water Bullets.

Special thanks to all those who contributed to the success of this fic, Naruto: An Uprising Shinobi had surpassed the 100th favorites-alerts milestone and it is all thanks to you guys.

I'm very grateful.

[1] – After taking a look at the scroll Hinata came up with the idea for an ultimate defense.

[2] – Since Naruto's nickname for Atsushi is Sushi, I decided that Atsushi's own for Naruto be Ruto.

Chapter 17: It's all falling into place.

See you next chapter.

Total number of words: 5831 words.

Jamesco1292002


	17. Chapter 17

"Talking"

"Thoughts"

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast talking"**

"**Tailed Beast Thinking"**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**Chapter 17: It's all falling into place**

[+]

*Previously*

**Match 1: Neji vs. Hinata**

"You are within my field of divination Hinata-sama." Neji declared as he lowered himself into a particular stance, one that every Main branch Hyuga knew.

Hinata's eyes widened as she recognized the stance. 'What! First the Rotation and now-'

"Eight Trigrams: 64 Palms!" Neji cried as he dashed towards Hinata.

"Two P-AARGH!" Just as Neji was about to initiate the technique, Hinata kicked her feet upwards and nailed him right in the gut with a Gentle fist enhanced kick which staggered him.

'What?! She incorporated the Jyuken with her feet.' Neji thought before he spat some blood.

"You're within my range of divination Neji-niisan." Hinata declared as she assumed a particular stance, "Eight Trigrams: 64 Palms!"

Neji could only stare in shock as Hinata assaulted him with a barrage of Jyuken strikes.

"Two Palms! Four Palms! Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms! Thirty-two Palms! Sixty-four Palms!" Hinata finished with a Jyuken strike to the chest which sent Neji flying backwards. The elder Hyuga hit the ground hard then rolled for a few seconds before he finally coming to a stop. With the technique complete, Hinata knelt down panting heavily: a sign that she still needed to work on the technique. 'Please let that be it.' She thought.

Neji weakly groaned as he struggled to get back up but couldn't, "No, this can't be!"

"The winner of the first match is Hinata Hyuga of Konohagakure!" Genma declared as the stadium erupted into cheers which made the poor girl blush in embarrassment.

[+]

**Match 2: Shikamaru vs. Temari**

The Suna Kunoichi sighed as she swung her fan once more. She was starting to get tired of just blasting the trees, lucky for her Shikamaru countered as his shadow darted towards her again but stopped at the mark.

Temari sighed at the failed attempt and was about to comment when she saw a small circular shadow appear on the floor, she looked up and saw that Shikamaru's jacket was floating in the air tied to a kunai. Quickly realizing what her opponent was up to, she looked down and saw Shikamaru's shadow speeding towards her after it connected with the jacket's shadow. She quickly jumped back a great distance until the shadow stopped.

"Nice try." Temari said as she landed. "But you'll have to do better than that in order to beat me."

Shikamaru sighed as he mentally marked that plan as a failure. He pulled out several kunai with explosion tags and threw them at Temari from behind the tree. The Suna Genin batted them away with the wind, but some tags still landed on their target which was the ground in front of Temari and exploded creating a smokescreen. Temari was about to use a wind jutsu to disperse the smokescreen when she noticed that she couldn't move.

'No!'

"Shadow Possession Jutsu is a success!" Shikamaru smirked as he lowly released his hand, forcing her to drop her fan. He then walked them both until they stood 6 feet away.

"I guess you win again." Temari said accepting her defeat.

"I guess." Shikamaru shrugged which she also did.

"Well are you going to finish it?"

"Oh I will but first." He grabbed the hem of his shirt which Temari mirrored and began to lift up slightly.

"What the hell are you doing?" Temari yelled, her face colored red. The audience chuckled at the antics of the Nara while his teammates, family, friends and Sensei were left speechless or had their mouths gaping.

"Just kidding." Shikamaru said letting go of his shirt which made his opponent relieved as she mirrored the action. The Nara then lazily glanced around before raising his hand.

"I forfeit." He declared canceling his jutsu.

Temari rolled her eyes as a collective gasp was heard from the audience. 'Why am I not surprised?' The fan user thought.

"Winner: Temari Sabaku of Sunagakure!"

[+]

*Chapter 17 starts now!*

|Chunin Exam Stadium, Konoha|

"BEGIN!"

None of the combatants moved an inch.

For Sakura because she was severely at a disadvantage with this match up and Eito because he wanted to see what new tricks his opponent had on her sleeves.

A minute had passed and yet no movement, the audience was beginning to show signs of restlessness.

Eito's right hand went towards his back and Sakura tensed.

"Thunder Strike!" Eito called releasing a bolt of lightning from his katana.

Sakura slammed both hands on the ground, "Earth Style: Mud Wall!" the defensive wall shot up and blocked the attack, "Earth Style: Earth Flow Spears!" The ground in front of wall crunched before a series of earthen spikes spouted towards the Kishida who leap out way, firing another lightning bolt which the pinkette dodged.

"Fire Style: Flame Missile!" Sakura abandoned ship (or in this case ground) just before the fireball hit resulting in a massive explosion. "Water Style: Gunshot!" Eito followed up the previous attack by spitting some globs of water at the moving Haruno. Sakura dodged the projectiles then tossed a couple of kunai which her opponent deflected with his Katana.

Sakura smirked then made a hand seal, activating the explosive tags on the kunai surrounding the Kishida.

'Oh crap.' Said Kishida thought before…

**Boom! Boom! Boom!**

The tags exploded blasting Eito backwards, seeing an opportunity Sakura leapt towards her opponent while channeling some chakra to her fist.

"CHHAAA!" The punch connected with log reducing it to splinters, Eito who substituted himself at the last second witnessed the log's disintegration and flinched.

'Close combat is definitely out of the question.' The red-haired Kishida noted sheathing his sword.

"Earth Style: Stalagmite!" Eito deserted his previous position just before the giant spike could impale him.

"Lightning Style: Laser Gun Barrage!" Multiple beams of lightning sped towards the pinkette.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" The defensive wall rose up but couldn't withstand the lightning attack as the beams exploded violently against it blasting the Haruno backwards.

[+]

|Observation Box|

"Kurenai-san, I didn't know you knew Earth Style." Areku said.

Kurenai nodded negatively, "I don't, Sakura trained under her father this last month."

"Her dad was a shinobi?" Kakashi raised a brow.

"Apparently yes, he was a Genin until retirement a year after Sakura's birth." The red-eyed beauty answered.

"A Genin? You're saying that he never got promoted?" Asuma asked.

"Actually he turned down all promotions even though he was Jonin level." Kurenai answered then focused on the battle just as Sakura stomped on the ground creating a series of earthen spikes which sprouted towards the kishida.

"Hmm I wonder why?" Areku mumbled as Eito swung his sword creating a series of lightning arcs which destroyed the spikes.

[+]

|Battle|

"Water Style: Gunshot!" Eito spat more globs of water at his opponent, Sakura angered at not landing a hit on the Kishida charged onward punching her way right through the water projectiles and landed a chakra enhanced punch on Eito's gut, the receiver was sent flying backwards landing besides Sakura's previous made stalagmite.

Seeing that katana user had yet to recover himself, Sakura made a hand seal causing the stalagmite to explode into shards, Eito noticed this late and got impaled on his thigh, the Kishida gritted his teeth in pain then made some hand seals.

"Fire Clone Jutsu!" A miniature explosion occurred on each side of the Nisankugan user. A perfect copy of the Kishida stepped out from each smoke cloud and made some hand seals. "Fire Style: Flame Bullet Barrage!" Both clones spat out multiple fire balls at the girl.

'I just made things difficult.' Sakura thought before slamming both hands on the ground, "Earth Style: Earth Dome!" She was immediately surrounded by earth in all directions. The fireballs exploded against the dome but didn't breakthrough, 'I'm running low on chakra.' Sakura thought as she was starting to pant heavily.

"Thunder Strike!" She heard before the front section of her dome gave way, She look up at her opponent who was standing a bit shakily due to his injury but other than that he was perfectly fine.

'Think! Sakura think!' Eito channeled more lightning to his sword as swords of his clones caught fire.

"Tri-combination-"

"I forfeit." Sakura interrupted.

Eito blinked then sighed in relief, 'Finally… a second there I would have revealed my trump card.'

"Winner of third match: Eito Kishida of Arashigakure!" Genma declared, since the victor wasn't a Konoha nin said victor got the least number of cheers but that didn't bother him as canceled his fire clones then limped over to the pinkette.

"Good fight." He commented offering the tired girl a hand, "You completely surprised me with those Earth jutsu but you don't seem to have the chakra reserves for a lengthy fight." He then added.

Sakura smiled weakly, "Yeah… sorry about your leg."

"Ah don't worry about that, it will be treated." Almost on cue some medical ninja approached them with a stretcher. "See."

[+]

|Waiting box|

"… I did have a feeling that Eito would win." Naruto said with a slight sigh.

"Well it is difficult to beat a Kishida in a ninjutsu battle." Himari stated before waving to her victorious teammate who was being treated.

"We'll now begin with the fourth match. Will Rock Lee and Sasuke Uchiha please come forward?" Genma stated loudly.

"YOSH! Finally, it is my turn to fight!" Lee shouted, gaining all attention from the other combatants and any nearby spectators. The bushy-browed genin then immediately jumped from the balcony and landed gracefully in the center of the battlefield where he started to jump up-and-down as he eagerly waited for his match to begin.

"… Hmph." Sasuke shook his head in response to Lee's excitement.

"Teme." Naruto called gaining the Uchiha's attention, "If you want that fight between us then don't lose this one, you got that?"

"Hmph, just may sure you beat Gaara." With those words, Sasuke started to walk out of the waiting room heading towards the battlefield; the rest of Team 7 watched this interaction before turning to their blond teammate.

"Was that necessary?" Atsushi asked with Naruto nodding in reply.

"Yea, it was."

[+]

|Jonin observation box|

"So… what are your predications for this match?" Asuma asked the others, taking a break from his cigarette thanks to a glare from Kurenai.

"My youthful pupil is going to emerge victorious! We've spent hours each day devoted to improving his skills! There is no way he is going to lose against Kakashi's star pupil." Gai proclaimed as he did his standard 'nice guy' pose.

"Is that so Gai?" Kakashi said as he closed his book, "Then how about a bet?"

Gai grinned, "If Lee wins then you will have to wear this," He produced a green spandex from thin air, "For an entire month!"

The Cyclops cringed at the mental image before shaking it off, "If Sasuke wins then you will have to read the first five chapters of this book," The masked wearer shown him a book with the title 'Icha Icha Paradise'. "…In front of a live audience."

"That's extremely un-youthful Kakashi but I accept." The two shook hands while the other Jonins inched away from them.

[+]

|Battlefield|

"You know, I've been looking forward to this match since our last one before the exams." Sasuke told Lee with a smirk. "I underestimated you then. That won't happen this time."

"I hope so or I won't to be able to take you on at your strongest. It won't prove anything to anyone here if we don't fight each other with all we got." Lee informed the Uchiha as a grin of his own developed on his face.

"Then let's get right on with it." The Uchiha stated confidently as he got into position.

"YOSH!" Lee exclaimed in agreement as he got into position to charge to Sasuke as soon as the match started.

Sasuke activated his eyes to reveal a two tomoe Sharingan which spun wildly before coming to a halt.

Seeing that both were ready to rumble Genma raised his hand into the air, "Fourth match between Rock Lee and Sasuke Uchiha… BEGIN!"

Sasuke quickly jumped backwards and began to make hand seals, "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

The Uchiha released a giant fireball from his mouth heading for Lee. The taijutsu specialist proceeded to dodge the fireball and rushed towards the Uchiha. He attempted to punch Sasuke, but the Uchiha managed to block with his arm previously coating said arm with chakra to lessen the blow. After blocking Lee's attack, Sasuke continued to jump backwards while making another set of hand seals. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Sasuke released five miniature fireballs that flew directly towards Lee. Lee moved quickly and dodged all of the oncoming attacks before charging Sasuke once again.

"Leaf Hurricane!" Lee jumped towards Sasuke and attempted to high kick him in the air. The Uchiha avoided the kick, and then avoided another, lower kick that Lee attempted to make on him. The elder genin proceeded to try and land a punch again on the Uchiha. Sasuke blocked all of Lee's attempts to punch him and tried to place more distance between the two, but Lee kept rushing him. He made sure that the two genin were always in close quarters of each other.

"Dynamic Entry!" Lee's feet connected with his opponent's chest and Sasuke was sent backwards. The Uchiha recovered quickly and performed a series of back-flips creating some reasonable amount of distance between the two.

"You're avoiding close combat." Lee noted. "A different strategy to how you fought last time."

"It's your specialty." Sasuke answered then brought his hands to his shorts and raised them slightly, revealing weights on his legs. He then started to untie them. "However, I guess this is getting nowhere fast if we keep fighting like this," He started to untie them, "So why don't we make this interesting!"

Lee quickly glanced into the stands and looked for his sensei. The Jonin in question nodded at the silent question being asked, Lee then turned to Sasuke with a grin as he reached down for his own leg weights. "Very well then! Let's see how your speed compares to mine!" Lee exclaimed as he took off his weights.

Both Lee and Sasuke dropped their weights at the same time. The resulting weight from both of their sets crushed the earth, creating craters.

[+]

|Waiting Box|

"… That's a lot of weight." Naruto mumbled as he stared at the craters.

The entire waiting area was silent as they watched the taijutsu fight between the two competing genin. Both Sasuke and Lee were moving extremely fast and were in engaging in fast-paced combat. Each of them was blocking each other's attacks while subsequently trying to land a hit of their own. All competitors were impressed with the speed and strength of both fighters even Gaara was impressed judging by the shaking of his gourd.

'When did Sasuke-kun get so fast?' Sakura thought as two fought each other with impressive speeds. '… He's so cool!'

'I have to fight one of those speed demons?' Eito thought and stared at his bandaged leg, 'Kami must really hate me.'

[+]

|Battle|

"You really have gotten faster." Lee complimented as he sent a punch which was blocked.

"Of course I have. I worked day and night to reach this level." Sasuke replied, attempting to kick the spandex-wearing genin.

"I'm glad to hear that you are one of those who accept that hard work and dedication are what make a True Shinobi!" Lee smiled as he blocked Sasuke's kick, "For that I respect you Sasuke-kun, you're an amazing opponent but this is where our match ends!" With that declaration he made eye contact with his jonin sensei. Gai simply nodded his head, giving Lee approval to use it.

The green clad genin jumped backwards disengaging his opponent then closed his eyes while crossing his two arms over his chest. "Gate of Opening: Open!"

Sasuke's Sharingan eyes widen in shock and slight fear as chakra began to radiate from the bushy-browed teen restoring him to his prime.

"Gate of Healing: Open!" Hearing that declaration Sasuke began to make hand seals as Lee's injuries began to fade.

"Gate of Life: Open!" Lee's blood flow increased and his adrenaline surged, the genin uncrossed his arms and charged towards the Uchiha.

'Done!' Sasuke thought just before Lee appeared before him.

"Leaf-" Lee stopped as Sasuke in front of him disappeared in a twirl of leaves, 'What! Where did he go?'

If Lee was observant he would have noted that his vision was hazy for a few seconds before returning.

[+]

'W-what's happening to me?' Lee thought as his chakra shroud from the Gates began to fade, 'Why do I suddenly feel so weak?' His surroundings started to spin giving him a feeling of nausea in his stomach.

Soon his eyelids began to feel heavy…

[+]

|Waiting Box|

'Genjutsu!' Sakura realized as soon as Lee started to sway, the rest of the combatants seemed to have realized the same thing.

'Bushy-brows' Naruto thought feeling sad for the boy, these past weeks that he had spent training with the two beasts of Konoha had revealed some interesting facts like the one going on now.

Lee was defenseless against genjutsu.

[+]

Genma mentally counted up to ten and Lee still hadn't broken the genjutsu placed on him.

"Since Rock Lee is unable to continue, the winner of the fourth match is Sasuke Uchiha!"

The crowd cheered loudly: louder than the three previous matches. Sasuke smirked as he started to walk out of the arena. Just as he was exiting the battlefield, he however turned his head back to look at Lee who now had Genma breaking the genjutsu on him. The Uchiha felt a bit guilty at using the genjutsu on the boy, if it had been an all-out taijutsu fight Sasuke knew that he would have lost pretty badly.

'… I'm sorry Lee but it can't be helped.' The Uchiha thought before leaving the arena.

But one thing was for sure, Lee had earned the respect of Sasuke Uchiha.

[+]

|Obsevation Box|

"Genjutsu…" Gai frowned as he watched a deflated Lee exit the arena.

"Gai… Gai?"

"Huh?" The blue beast turned his attention towards his eternal rival, "Did you say something Kakashi?"

The silver-haired's visible eye went wide as the rest of the Jonin sniggered, "… I probably deserved that." Kakashi muttered.

Gai quickly caught up on what he had said and chuckled, "Forget me Kakashi I didn't mean to say that." He apologized.

"Nah its okay… and the bet is off."

"But you won?" Gai protested, "Your student beat mine!"

"I know, but that isn't the reason why I'm calling it off." Kakashi replied.

[+]

|Waiting Box|

"Congrats teme!" Naruto said as Sasuke rejoined them.

"Hn." Was the raven-haired's normal reply.

"… I will never understand the relationship between you two." Atsushi muttered while Hinata giggled lightly.

A few more minutes passed before Genma spoke up to the crowds of people. "It's now time for the next match. Will Naruto Uzumaki and Gaara Sabaku please come forward?"

Hinata, Atsushi and Sasuke both stared at their blonde teammate. Naruto put on a neutral expression on his face before he sighed and shook his head. "I guess it's time."

"Naruto-kun… Be safe, okay?" Hinata requested. The Uzumaki nodded in response and after some encouragement from his Kishidan teammate, he headed towards the stairs.

Before he descend he felt a hand on his shoulder, turning around to view the owner of said hand he was surprised at who it beyond to, "Sasuke?"

The Uchiha retracted his hand then gave the Uzumaki the smallest of smiles, "Just don't die down there because if you do..." He left the threat hanging.

Naruto chuckled lightly, "Trust me I have no plans of dying today." With that the two brought their hands close for a quick handshake…

"Will you get down here already so I can paint the floor with your blood." Gaara growled impatiently from the arena.

"Yeah yeah I'm coming." Naruto shot back then exchanged a brief eye contact with Uchiha before descending the stairs. Sasuke glared at the Suna boy for the interruption then returned to his position.

"Do you think Naruto can beat him?" Sasuke turned his attention to his left and was slightly surprised to see Sakura standing there. The Haruno had actually been there the entire time but since she was a lot quieter than how Sasuke remembered he didn't notice her.

Seeing that she was still expecting his answer he gave it to her, "I know he can."

[+]

|Battleground|

"**There he is. Kill him for he is the only thing standing between you and your existence."**

"Yes mother." Gaara answered before focusing on the Uzumaki standing 15ft away opposite him, "Ready to die Uzumaki?"

"At your hands? I think I will pass." Naruto replied before growling a bit, "And stop calling Ichibi your mother, he's a male for kami's sake."

"Don't insult mother Uzumaki!"

'He has lost it.' Kurama could only agree with his container.

"Fighters ready?" Genma asked. None of the combatants gave a reply, the amount of tension and killing intent between the two Jinchuriki was so great that not a single person in the stadium made a sound.

'Kai!' Naruto muttered deactivating his chakra weights, Kami knew he would need all the speed he had.

"Fifth matchup between Naruto Uzumaki and Gaara Sabaku… Begin!"

Naruto jumped backwards and tossed a single shuriken, "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" The shuriken in a puff of smoke become forty. Sand shot out of Gaara's gourd and blocked the projectiles before they could reach him.

"Please tell me this isn't all you got?" Gaara asked before commanding his sand to shoot towards the blonde. Naruto immediately jumped out and made some hand seals for his signature jutsu.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Eleven clones puffed into existence, the clones and Naruto positioned themselves in such a manner that the Suna Genin was surrounded at all sides, the blondes tossed shuriken then…

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu! Wind Style: Gale Palm!" The Shuriken were multiplied then enhanced by the wind jutsu increasing their speed. Gaara's sand attempted to block everything but was unable to do so. Some wind-enhanced Shuriken managed to by-pass the defense and ended up hitting the Suna Jinchuriki, cutting him but only slightly thanks to his sand armor.

The original noticed this and frowned, 'Ok, Gale Palm isn't enough.' He tried to motion for the clones to try something else when…

"Sand Shower!" Gaara countered as multiple sand projectiles were launched and eight clones were unlucky enough to get hit, the remaining retreated towards the original as some sand was sent after them.

"Fire Style: Fox Fire Flame Bombs!" The Sand retreated and surrounded Gaara in a cocoon protecting him from the stream of orange fireballs that targeted him, once the flames died down the Suna genin gained a confused expression as he was trapped in a Glass sphere.

"And that kiddies is what happens when you super-heated sand." Naruto informed in a lecture like voice to the audience who busted out laughing.

"**Gaara! What are you doing? KILL HIM! KILL THEM ALL!" **'Mother' yelled.

"SAND TSUNAMI!" Gaara yelled clapping his hands together, sand exploded from behind him creating a 40 ft tall tidal wave of sand, the greatest sand wave known to man.

"Holy shit." One of three remaining clones commented with the original agreeing with him.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" Naruto released a large gust of wind directly towards the approaching sand. The sand stood still for a moment but some seconds later overpowered the wind.

"What?" Naruto gasped before he was grabbed on both sides by his clones and tossed high into the air just as the gigantic wave fell.

"GIANT SAND BURIAL!" The sand shook for a moment before…

**BOOM!**

'It's over…. WHAT?' Gaara thought as Naruto graciously fell out of the sky landing on his two feet. The Uzumaki didn't have a single scratch on his body and that enraged the Suna Genin.

'That was a close one.' The Uzumaki thought, he was pretty sure Gaara's sand shouldn't be able to overpower his Wind Style: Great Breakthrough.

"SAND SHURIKEN!" Gaara made a throwing gesture, firing a multitude of sand shuriken.

Seeing the moving wall of sand projectile, the Uzumaki gathered some chakra in throat. "Wind Style: Lion's Roar!" Naruto's eyes turned red briefly before he bellowed a massive roar that disintegrated the shuriken to sand particles which fell harmlessly to the ground. Naruto mentally thanked Kurama for showing him that move.

"That was impressive, Uzumaki. I wonder what else you're capable of." Gaara commented then made another gesture at the Uzumaki. Naruto's sensory abilities kicked in and he jumped out of the giant sand hand which would have crushed him.

"GIANT SAND BULLET BALL!" Like a loaded cannon, Gaara's gourd launched a large ball of sand at the currently airborne Uzumaki.

Naruto while airborne made some hand seals, "Fire Style: Fox Fire!" He spat out a fox shaped fireball which collided with the bullet head-on destroying it. The Uzumaki landed on solid ground and barrel-rolled a couple of times avoiding some sand tendrils before assuming a stand.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" In a puff of smoke a clone manifested beside him, "Fire Style: Fox Fire Flame Bombs!" Both Narutos spewed out a stream of orange fireballs, Gaara surrounded him in a dome of sand and like before it was glassified. But before Gaara could command his sand to shatter it a Demon WIndmill Shuriken crashed into it, shattering it before disappearing in a burst of smoke revealing Naruto who slammed a chakra-enhanced fist into the shell-shocked Gaara's gut, sending the red-haired Jinchuriki flying backwards.

[+]

|Waiting Box|

'Gaara was hit… That… can't be.' Temari shook her head, trying to register what exactly happened.

"That's brilliant!" Hinata complimented, feeling proud at her crush's actions.

"A bit risky but smart." Atsushi added, the rest of the combatants were also impressed by the move.

Having his clone henge itself into a Demon Windmill Shuriken then tossing said shuriken and substituting with it once it had broken through Gaara's defense was pure genius.

"Well… he's always full of surprises." Sakura said with Sasuke nodding in reply even though his eyes never left the battle.

[+]

|Kage Box|

"That Uzumaki sure is an interesting fellow, Hokage-dono." Atoniji spoke up as he stared intensely at the blonde, "He kinda reminds me of the Fourth Hokage."

Hiruzen chuckled lightly, "Really? I didn't notice." He then turned his attention to the 'Kazekage' who seemed to be glaring at Naruto, "Is something the matter, Rasa?"

"No."

"He's just annoyed that his son's defenses were breached, isn't that right?" The Yosokage asked with a slight smirk.

"I guess that must be it." The 'Kazekage' muttered but on the inside, 'There is no way that boy improved so much under that…' Then the Yosokage's previous statement hit him, he took a closer look at Naruto then mentally berated himself for not seeing it earlier. 'So Minato-kun did have a son.' He licked his lips slightly, 'Looks like Sasuke-kun isn't my only target after all.'

[+]

|Battle|

"Yes, Yes! YOU WILL PROVE MY EXISTENCE UZUMAKI!" Gaara shouted as he got back up, wearing a crazed look that strangely wasn't on throughout the match.

"**Get ready kit." **Kurama informed as Gaara made a hand seal.

The sand that had scattered across the battlefield came back together again and formed a larger, circular shield around the genin. Gaara became completely enclosed in the sand, unable to be seen.

"What… the…" Naruto mumbled in response at the sight.

"**Just don't stand there and gawk, do something!"** Naruto refocused himself and began to mold chakra in his lungs.

"Fire Style: Fox Fire Flame Bombs!" The flames sped forward and impacted the dome, after they died down it was revealed that they only glassified the first layer as the second layer was still made of sand.

"Huh… why didn't it work?"

"**The second layer must be coated with Shukaku's chakra, if so then only my flames will be able to glassify it." **The demon fox pointed out.

"… Kurama do you think that I in our one-tailed state will be able to breakthrough it?" Naruto asked.

Kurama closed his eyes in thought, **"It should be possible."** That was the answer the Uzumaki was looking for as he closed his eyes in concentration and called upon the demonic chakra. His appearance changed: whiskers become thicker, fangs grew from his teeth, his nails elongated into claws, red chakra flowed out forming two fox ears and a tail. Finally Naruto opened his eyes which were now red with narrow slits, his enhanced senses picked up some of the whispers among the audience but he ignored them as he had no time for idiotic fools.

'Okay let's try this out.' The Uzumaki thought as he charged towards the dome, channeling demonic chakra to his hands/ paws. Just as Naruto reached the dome, he swiped downwards with his right claw creating a hole in the dome. Gaara hadn't notice that he was now visible to the world as he had his eyes closed while making a series of hand seals, Naruto promptly rotated 180 degrees and swiped at the Suna Genin's chest with his left claw.

Gaara snapped his eyes open as pain coursed through his body, he lowered his eyes slowly at the claw-like wound on his chest and then the feral-looking Uzumaki before him.

"That's… Blood… But it's mine." He mumbled to himself before he started screaming, "THAT'S MY BLOOD!"

The sand dome collapsed on itself, Gaara fell backwards still screaming in pain while Naruto jumped backwards dispelling his transformation but kept his guard up in case Gaara still had some tricks on his sleeves.

[+]

"Ninja Art: Temple of Nirvana Jutsu!" A genjutsu was immediately casted creating illusionary feathers which floated around the stadium putting both shinobi and civilian alike to sleep.

The Invasion begins.

[+]

**A/N: **Sorry about the month's absence, had a couple of things going on. Anyway this chapter marks the end of the Chunin exams. Hope you guys were impressed with the outcomes of the matches. Sorry Lee and Sakura fans but Sasuke and Eito had to win, unfortunately the Himari vs. Atsushi fight won't be happening.

Chapter 18: Konoha Crush!

Total Number of Words: 5112 words.

Suggestions are always welcome so feel free to PM me.

Have a pleasant weekend!

Jamesco1292002


	18. Chapter 18

"Talking"

"Thoughts"

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast talking"**

"**Tailed Beast Thinking"**

**Sound Effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**Chapter 18: Konoha Crush!**

[+]

|Stadium|

As illusionary feathers fell from the sky, Naruto suddenly began to feel sleepy but Kurama sent out a pulse of his chakra dispelling the genjutsu. The Uzumaki mentally thanked the demon fox and glanced around the Stadium.

The Konoha shinobi were locked in combat with both Suna and Oto forces preventing them for reaching the civilians who were being evacuated. Three days ago Kurama had informed him that some heavy duty fights will be going on today but still…

Naruto jumped to his left avoiding a powerful gust of wind which surely would have sent him flying backwards. The Sunagakure Jonin, Baki frowned at his miss. Beside him were Temari and Kankuro who wore impassive expressions.

The Suna Jonin shoved the thought of his miss to the back of his mind and studied the condition of their Jinchriki, "Temari! Kankuro!"

"Yes sir!" The two replied.

"Take him away from here." He pointed at Gaara who was still in pain. "Find some secluded place where he can calm down. Once he's recovered from his pain and shock, get out of there so that he can release Shukaku!" Baki said eyes turning towards Naruto. The Uzumaki watched as the two picked up their brother then used shunshin to leave.

"Why is Suna invading? I thought we are allies." Naruto calmly asked, Baki stared at the boy responsible for Gaara's current condition, the Uzumaki had actually managed to physically harm the Jinchuriki and came out unscratched, in Sunagakure such a feat is considered impossible. With that in mind, the Suna Jonin glared at the boy while making some hand seals.

"Allies you say? How can we be allies when Suna is being sucked dry by Konoha." Baki commented coldly before releasing a gust of hurricane winds at him.

Luckily someone came to his rescue erecting an earth wall which intercepted the wind attack, when the wall fell Baki was no longer in sight.

"Coward." The Uzumaki heard someone mutter, glancing around his spotted the Proctor Genma approaching, "I have a mission for you."

[+]

|Kage Box|

"I see your village is being invaded Hokage-dono." Atoniji said calmly. Before Hiruzen could gave a reply, the 'Kazekage' made a hand seal and blasted away all the bodyguards of both kages off the balcony with a powerful gust of wind.

"Activate the barrier!" The two 'Kazekage' bodyguards dropped their disguises revealing themselves to be four Oto shinobi, the four ninja leapt to one of the four corners of the roof and simultaneously made the same hand seals.

"Ninja Art: Four Flames Formation!" They shouted as a purple barrier rose up, trapping the Kages inside. They then created a separate barrier to protect themselves from being attacked.

"Happy to see me Sarutobi-sensei?" The 'Kazekage' asked as he peeled away his disguise, revealing himself to be Orochimaru.

"No, I'm actually ashamed for letting you live, Orochimaru." Hiruzen replied, leveling him with a hard glare. "I also knew you were disguised as the Kazekage the whole time."

"Ku ku ku, so you knew all along." The Sannin chuckled lightly.

"It was confirmed when you acknowledged Atoniji's presence, Rasa never does that."

"You did know about the invasion, didn't you Sarutobi-sensei? You knew this whole time." Orochimaru noted as a grin developed on his face. "Quite interesting. I wonder who clued you in, Sarutobi-sensei."

Hiruzen ignored the words from his former student and turned his head to face the Yosokage. "My apologies Yosokage-dono, but informing you of the invasion from Oto and Suna would have tipped them off if you started acting strangely."

"I guess you're right, it would have been strange if Arashi shinobi were suddenly brought into the village." Atsushi sighed before glaring at the Snake Sannin, "At least let me lend you a hand, for Orochimaru has been trying to get his hands on my people ever since the Third war ended."

"Could you blame me, Atoniji?" Orochimaru shrugged, "The Nisankugan is an interesting bloodline, if all things go according to plan I will be experimenting on your daughter by tomorrow's end."

The Kage saw red, "If you there lay a finger on Himari-chan's hair I will…"

"Summoning: Edo Tensei!" Orochimaru interrupted summoning two coffins which opened up revealing their contents, both Kages gasped at who were inside. In the coffin marked with the kanji of 'fire' and 'one' was a man with waist-length black hair and tanned skin. He wore dark red armor over his body and had on with black pants. In the coffin marked with the kanji of 'fire' and 'two' was a man with white, shaggy hair and had red markings underneath his eyes. He wore blue armor over his body with black pants and also wore facial armor that covered his ears and the side of his face. There was also white fur on his armor that covered his neck.

"What trickery is this?" Atoniji whispered as he stared at the First and Second Hokages. Both of them had cracks running along their bodies and seemed to be in a comatose state before their eyes gained a light to them and they looked around in confusion.

'Hashirama and Tobirama-senseis!' Hiruzen thought as he stared at both individuals.

"Trick? This is no trick. This is the Edo Tensei. It's a jutsu designed by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju himself. I figured he, along with his brother would enjoy seeing the jutsu in action." Orochimaru explained with a chuckle.

"You really perfected this Jutsu, didn't you?" Hiruzen glared at his former student.

"Perfected? No, there is still room for improvement but I did perfect the other jutsu!" Orochimaru replied with a grin on his face.

Now Atoniji was curious, "Which jutsu?"

"My Immortality Jutsu of course."

Hiruzen paled. "You... you completed that dreadful Jutsu?!" he roared.

Orochimaru chuckled as he reached up to his face and pulled it away, revealing the face of an attractive woman underneath. "Why are you so surprised? You did allow me to escape and finish my work," He explained in a feminine voice.

The Hokage was sickened. "… How many innocents have you taken...?"

"This is my third body, and I've already taken steps to acquire my next body, one that will allow me to further my goals of learning every jutsu with unsurpassed ease."

"Sasuke... Uchiha..." He watched the man smile in confirmation. "He is a shinobi of Konoha. I won't let you take him!"

"Ku Ku Ku... You can try." Orochimaru then put his real face back on and smirked darkly at the two shinobi before him. "But you won't succeed."

[+]

|Waiting Box|

Shouts of "Kai!" rang out in the small room as those inside realized what was happening dispelled the Genjutsu. It was a good thing they acted so quickly too because four Oto-nin crashed through the door.

"Capture the Uchiha and Kishida but kill the rest!" One of them ordered.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke breathed out a fireball which separated the enemy into two groups of two men each.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Two of them suddenly founded themselves rooted on spot as Hinata and Lee appeared in front of them.

"Eight Trigrams: 32 Palms!"

"Leaf Hurricane!"

Both Genin unleashed a devastating combo of Strikes, Punches and Kicks on the two rendering them unconscious.

The Captain cursed at how easily his men fell and drew his blade intent on slashing the Genin closest to him. Atsushi using his right hand blocked the slash with his Wakizashi, but was soon being overpowered. The Jonin smirked at this but the smirk was replaced with shock as Atsushi's blade suddenly became electrified and sliced his in half, jumping backwards back to avoid being beheaded the Jonin didn't realize that someone was behind him until Himari bashed him with her bo-staff on the head sending him to sleepy town.

"Water Style: Water Encampment Wall!" An Oto Chunin called spewing out a watery barrier which put a stop to a fire style jutsu launched by Eito. The Kishida then switched to lightning and released a Thunder Strike from his katana which the Chunin dodged then retaliated by spitting out some globs of water.

Eito rolled over avoiding the globs before coming to a halt beside Sakura, the Haruno then tossed a Kunai at the Chunin who was about to dodge but halted as the Kunai in a puff of smoke become twenty, knowing that he wouldn't be dodged them all the Chunin spewed out another water wall while praying that the Kunai wouldn't pierced through.

Then the strangest thing happened, as the hail of kunai projectiles met the Water barrier they all faded away except of one which pierced through and impale the floor between his feet. **[1]** Confused the Chunin looked up only to see Eito's and Sakura's smiley faces as the latter made a hand seal activating the tag on the kunai.

**Boom!**

The Chunin was blasted backwards covered in second degree burns.

"Is everyone okay?" Sasuke asked once the commotion had died down, the Uchiha received replies ranging 'Yeah' to 'I'm good'.

Noises of battle attracted their attention outside, stepping out of the room they witnessed their various Jonin-senseis locked in combat with either Oto or Suna Shinobi.

[+]

|Konoha Wall|

Outside the village walls a huge cloud of smoke rose up as an enormous three-headed snake plowed through it and directly into the village wall, creating a fissure as it passed through. It stopped just inside and looked around at all the tasty treats standing on the rooftops.

"Hit it with everything you've got! Don't stop until you have to!" Came a cry from one of the men as the ninja surrounding the snake cut loose with all the jutsu and weapons they had. It was futile though as the snake just shrugged them off and began snatching ninja up in its massive jaws.

"Summoning Jutsu: Food Cart Destroyer!" A voice echoed through the chaos as another plume of smoke rose and the snake writhed in agony under the giant toad that now sat on its back. "The Toad Sage has arrived better say your prayers!"

"Jiraiya-sama. You're timing couldn't be better." Ibiki said as he landed next to the man on the amphibian's head. The presence of the gallant Toad Sage seemed to increase the morale of all Konoha nin present as they fought bravely to defend their village.

"Ibiki. Where's Sarutobi at?" Jiraiya asked the head of Konoha T&I department.

Ibiki pointed solemnly towards the center of the village. "He's at the stadium." It was all he needed to say as they could clearly see the purple barrier from where they were, along with exactly where it was positioned.

'The Four Flames Formation, huh?' Jiraiya thought as he stared at the barrier, some seconds later the Sannin suddenly made a cross hand seal for the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Jiraiya pointed at the barrier then handed a scroll over to his doppelganger who nodded then proceeded to ran towards the Stadium.

[+]

|With Naruto and Genma|

"Okay, mission accepted."

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata's voice drew both males attention, turning around they located her, Sasuke, Atsushi, Sakura, Shikamaru, Lee, Eito and Himari heading towards him.

"Are you alright?" Hinata asked frantically after catching up with him.

Naruto nodded, "I'm fine but I need your help with a mission." That got him some raised brows and confused expressions. "It's Gaara, he is about to release his Biju on the village and we need to stop him."

Upon hearing those words the reaction was expected as they all paled at the thought of a rampaging Biju.

"It's an A-rank mission and Naruto is in charge." Genma explained, "Sakura and Eito stay back and help with the evacuation process while the rest of you will join Naruto." They all nodded and set out with Genma returning back to the fight, Sakura and Eito heading towards the Stands to help with the evacuation while the rest headed towards the exit while avoiding any enemy nin along the way.

[+]

|Outside Stadium|

Upon exiting the stadium the group of seven quickly ran towards the forest as Naruto detected four chakra signatures in the area and one of them was definitely Gaara's.

"Guys we got a problem?" Naruto suddenly said alerting the others.

"Has Gaara unleashed his Biju already?" Sasuke asked.

The Blonde nodded negatively, "No, we are being followed by seven different chakra signatures."

Hinata activated her Byakugan and took a look at their chakra levels, "Six of them are Chunin level while one is Jonin level, at the pace they're moving it will take a minute or so before they intercept us." She informed.

"… Then Lee, Sasuke, Himari and I will handle them." Atsushi spoke up; the others turned their attention to the Konoha born Kishida. "The rest of you should go on."

"You sure about that, Sushi?" The Kishida nodded.

Naruto, Hinata and Shikamaru exchanged a glance among themselves, "Okay but you guys should be careful." Naruto replied.

The four nodded and came to a halt as the remaining three went on after the Sand Siblings.

After a minute had passed seven Otogakure shinobi appeared from the trees, the Jonin looked down at the Genin and smirked lightly, 'All of Orochimaru-sama's targets are here.'

"Surrender yourselves peacefully and nobody get hurts." The Jonin said while his men sniggered.

The four Genin shared a look among one another then nodded in silent agreement, Lee opened the First Gate, Sasuke activated Moeruken: Body Flare Armor while the both Kishida activated their Sankugan.

The Jonin frowned at their answer, "Capture the Uchiha and the Kishida but kill the green weirdo."

[+]

|Hidden Leaf Forest|

"Kankuro-sama! Temari-sama!"

Kankuro and Temari looked back in surprise at the sound of the voice. Daichi, a Sunagakure chunin and chakra sensor, was rushing up behind them. The man was breathing heavily, showing that he had worked hard to catch up to the two siblings.

"Daichi, what are you doing here? You should be helping the invasion forces like the rest of the shinobi!" Temari informed him sharply.

"… I came to warn you that you were being followed." The Chunin informed after catching his breath.

That silenced the two genin, they hadn't thought of the possibility of someone following them.

"… How many shinobi are pursuing us? And how far away are they?" Temari asked.

"I sense seven… no, three chakra signatures following us. Four of them seemed to have stopped moving." Daichi shrugged in response. "Nevertheless, three are still following, and one of them has an extremely high chakra signature. At the pace they are going, they will eventually catch up to us."

"Shit. Gaara hasn't recovered yet. A battle occurring around him right now would only make things worse." Kankuro hissed at the realization.

"… Then I'll stall them." Temari suggested firmly.

"Temari, what are you suggesting? Three against one is not good odds at all!" Kankuro nearly shouted at his sister.

"Probably not, but I can stall them a little bit. You two keep moving and get Gaara away. That is our orders and it's what needs to be done for Suna! I'll hold them back for you two." The blonde exclaimed. She then loosened her grip on Gaara, allowing Daichi to come and take her place in carrying him.

"… Fine." The puppet user sighed, shaking his head slightly at his sister's actions. "Just don't die Temari."

"I won't." She reassured her brother.

Kankuro nodded before him and Daichi, carrying Gaara, continued to rush ahead through the forest. Temari jumped on a tree branch waited, looking for their pursuers. She gripped her fan tightly in her hands, waiting to attack at the first sight of Konoha shinobi.

[+]

|Stadium Rooftop|

Upon being released from their coffins, the consciences of Hashirama and Tobirama started to return. The two men looked around the land-of-the-living in confusion. Their eyes then focused on the men in front of them: Hiruzen, Atoniji, and Orochimaru.

"Sarutobi… Monkey… Is that you?" Hashirama questioned with a sad-smile on his face.

"It is. It's been a long time, hasn't it Sensei?" Hiruzen replied, returning the man's sad-smile with one of his own.

"It really has. You've grown old." The First Hokage chuckled.

"Yeah, I have."

Tobirama who had been silent observing his surrounding, turned his head and asked his student a question, "Saru, why are you still Hokage at that age? You should have chosen your successor years ago."

"My successor had died thirteen years ago when the Kyubi attacked Konoha." Hiruzen replied.

The deceased Hokage raised an eyebrow, "Was its seal weak?"

Hiruzen nodded sadly, "Yes during childbirth and the Fourth died sealing the Kyubi away once again."

The Second nodded then glanced at the other two men, "And they are?"

"Fourth Yosokage, Atoniji." The blue-haired Kage answered.

"Ah, it's good to see that the alliance between the two villages still holds strong."

"Thank-"

"I hate to break up this little reunion, but we really must get this moving long, I do have a village to destroy." Orochimaru interrupted.

Tobirama then glared at the Sannin. "So, you are the one who summoned us with the very technique I designed." He noted with disgust.

"I am. I must say, you designed a marvelous jutsu that I am still working on improving. There's so much potential with it, after all." Orochimaru chuckled as he pulled out two kunai knives with tags attached to them.

Tobirama recognized them immediately and turned his head towards the Kages: "One of you needs to destroy those! Now!"

No soon had he said that a water whip lashed out knocking the kunais out of the Sannin's hand and into the barrier where they proceeded to burn.

"Fast reflexes Atoniji-san." Orochimaru complimented, "Your bloodline limit may pose a problem, so I will be more cautious around you." The Snake Sannin then made a hand seal, causing the two deceased kage's bodies to stiffen. Hiruzen and Atoniji immediately prepared for battle.

"Now that the numbers have changed a little in favor, it's about time we had some fun." Orochimaru said making another hand seal.

Both Hashirama and Tobirama charged at Atoniji, who jumped backwards to place distance between him and them. They then followed him to another area of the balcony to do battle. Orochimaru and Hiruzen remained alone in the center with the latter glaring at the former.

"I'm surprised you sent my predecessors after Atoniji. Do you really think you can take me on by yourself, Orochimaru?" Hiruzen spoke coldly to his former student.

"Perhaps I'm feeling a bit overconfident. I did intend on fighting you with them. I suppose I can call them back here if I do need a little extra help when you prove more of a fight than I expect. But I guess, with the opportunity presented to me, I'd like to try and take you on myself." Orochimaru chuckled. "This invasion's primary goal was to make sure you die after all, Sarutobi-sensei. It'd be more fun if I was able to kill you off by myself."

"You can try, but nothing you can do will help you kill me." Hiruzen replied, glaring at his former student.

Orochimaru's chuckling stopped as a snake extended from his mouth. The snake's mouth opened up, spitting out the Kusanagi Sword. The Third Hokage, seeing his student pulling out his own weapon, bit his finger and made a series of hand signs before slamming his palm on the ground. A few seconds later passed before a tall monkey with white fur wearing a black suit and a Konoha forehead protector appeared next to the Hokage.

"Enma, it has been a while since the two of us have been in combat together. I need your help today more than ever." Hiruzen spoke to the monkey.

Enma looked directly at Orochimaru and nodded his head: "It's about time this fight happened. Let us make up for your mistake years ago and kill this man."

After saying this statement, Enma transformed into an adamantine staff. Hiruzen grabbed the staff and swung it around for a few seconds before turning his attention to Orochimaru.

"Enma is right, Orochimaru. It's time I did what I failed to do years ago and finally bring you down myself." The Third Hokage spoke, determination evident in his voice.

"I'd like to see you try!" Orochimaru taunted, gripping the Kusanagi tightly in his hands.

The former teacher-and-student charged at one another, gripping their weapons tightly in their hands.

[+]

|Hidden Leaf Forest|

"Temari…" Hinata recognized the girl who stood in between them and Gaara.

"Sorry but you pursuit of Gaara ends here!" The fan-user declared sharply as she swung her fan, sending a large gust of wind in their direction. The three Leaf nin were forced to jump onto separate branches to avoid the attack.

"It's obvious that she's just trying to get us to waste time." Shikamaru spoke up, "Something we can't afford to do… so I will fight her while you two go on."

Both Naruto and Hinata looked at the Nara in surprise, "… Are you going to be okay, Shikamaru-kun?" Hinata asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine." The Nara answered, eyes locked on Temari. Naruto stared between the two and noticed that Temari wasn't paying attention to either him or Hinata, she was purely focused on Shikamaru.

'What's going on between these two?' He narrowed his eyes in thought.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata called gaining his attention, "We need to keep going with our pursuit."

Naruto nodded then gave Shikamaru one last look which said that he should be careful before taking off with Hinata. At the sight of their movement, Temari prepared to swing her fan but stopped at the sight of kunai knives approaching her. The Suna kuniochi used her fan to deflect all the weapons then stared at the remaining Konoha Genin.

"I know it's a drag," The Nara began drawing a Kunai, "But it can't be avoided."

Temari nodded grimly, "I guess you're right." Her grip on her fan tightened, "It can't."

[+]

|Stadium Rooftop Battle, Yosokage vs. Deceased Kages|

Covered by the white chakra shroud of the Nisankugan second state, Atoniji battled against two powerful individuals in Konoha's history. The deceased Kages weren't revived at full strength but they were still strong enough to keep him under constant pressure.

Luckily for Atoniji the decreased Hokage still had their consciousness so they warned him of their attacks.

"Be careful again, this next jutsu is a devastating one." Hashirama warned as he ran through another set of hand signs. "Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu!" The wooden dragon rushed forward and attacked, opening its jaws to bite down.

The Arashi leader jumped away to avoid being eaten.

"Destroy its head with any strong technique you know and you'll destroy the dragon!" Hashirama shouted his advice.

The Yosokage nodded in understanding, "Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Missile!" He spewed out a large stream of flames which took the form of dragon. The flaming dragon collided head on with its wooden counterpart creating a massive explosion.

"Watch out! Water Style: Severing Wave!" Tobirama sent a high-pressured stream of water towards Atoniji who was forced to jump out of the way as the attack tore up a good chunk of the roof.

"Earth Style: Earth Dome!" Massive walls of earth and rock formed around Atoniji and adsorbed the damage from the blasts of water, shielding him.

"Wood Style: Deep Forest Creation!" Hashirama shouted as he felt his body make a series of hand seals.

Trees started to grow underneath the battlefield. Under seconds, the battlefield was covered in trees and resembled a dense forest. A few trees had formed from underneath the Dome. These trees ended up destroying the dome and revealing Atoniji to the world. Seeing as their target is now open, they charged towards him.

"Shit!" Atoniji cursed as he began to spin, "Wind Style: Great Spinning Breakthrough!" He released wind chakra outwards from his body, resulting in a whirlwind around him. Unable to stop their momentum, the two revived Kages charged into the whirlwind and were blasted backwards with numerous cuts and gashes on their bodies.

The Yosokage stopped spinning and glanced at the deceased kages, upon seeing their downed figures a small smirk found itself way on his face. But that soon turned into shock as the two stood up and their wounds began to heal, "Your wounds are healing?"

"It's the regenerative properties of the Edo Tensei." Tobirama answered as he stood back up, "You will need to use a powerful jutsu that will completely obliterate our bodies or at least restrain us until a Fuinjutsu user can seal us away."

Atoniji scowled, "Easier said than done." He mumbled to himself.

"Move!" Hashirama warned as he sent a barrage of wood spears.

[+]

|Stadium Rooftop Battle, Hiruzen vs. Orochimaru|

"It seems as if your predecessor, Hashirama, was forced to use his kekkei genkai and create a forest battlefield." Orochimaru noted with a smirk.

Hiruzen did not reply to Orochimaru's comment. Instead, he focused solely on fighting off his former student.

The two were engaged in close-combat as Orochimaru and Hiruzen attempted to strike at the other with their sword and staff respectively. Both were locked into a stalemate. Each of them had occasionally landed strikes at each. Orochimaru's body was starting to bruise heavily as a result and Hiruzen had many cuts from the Kusanagi. Still, both men ignored the pain and their injuries. They focused solely on landing a decisive hit that would kill their opponent.

Orochimaru swung his sword at Hiruzen, causing the Third Hokage to block the attack once again. This time, however, a snake appeared from underneath Orochimaru's sleeve and charged straight toward Hiruzen. He was forced to jump backwards to avoid the snake's bite, placing distance between himself and Orochimaru.

"Multiple Striking Shadow Snakes!" Ten, large snakes shot out from Orochimaru's sleeve and charged at his former teacher. Seeing the approaching snakes, the Hokage ran through a series of hand signs.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bombs!" Hiruzen breathed a large stream of fire from his mouth right as the snakes reached him. Immediately, the snakes screeched in pain before their bodies melted under the intense heat of the flames. The fire continued as it approached Orochimaru. The Sannin smirked as he made a hand seal.

"Wind Style: Devastation!" The flames were snuffed out by a powerful gust of wind.

Seeing that his initial attack had failed, Hiruzen made a singular hand sign, turning the balcony titles around him into mud.

"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullets!" After a series of hand seals a dragon head rose up from the mud and proceeded to spit bullets made of mud at Orochimaru. The Sannin was hit-head on by the jutsu but his body melted, turning into a pile of mud and revealing that Orochimaru to be an earth clone. Realizing this, Hiruzen turned around just in-time to see Orochimaru attempt to cut him with the Kusanagi. Once again, Hiruzen used his staff to block the attack.

"Your reflexes have not dulled at all in your old age." Orochimaru commented with a smirk on his face.

"Age hasn't made me weak, Orochimaru. I'm still strong enough to defeat you, as I was when I first met you when you were a genin!" Hiruzen informed his former student sharply.

"Such confidence you have there, Sarutobi-sensei but will you be able to match it up?" The Sannin replied.

"I am confident that I can, because the life of the village is in my hands. In a moment like this, I can't lose. Even if I were to die here, I'd save Konoha and take you with me!" The Third Hokage exclaimed.

"I like to see you try."

"Oh, I will!"

With those words, Hiruzen pushed harder with his staff, managing to knock Orochimaru off balance. Seeing an opportunity, the Third proceeded to swing his staff again directly towards Orochimaru's chest. Unfortunately, the Sannin managed to squirm away, using his flexibility to duck underneath Hiruzen's attack. He then jumped backwards and gripped his sword tightly, ready to continue their battle.

[+]

|Stadium Arena|

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Kakashi Hatake called before releasing a comet sized fireball at approaching Oto and Suna ninja. Many of them were unable to evade it and got hit head-on by the jutsu dying almost immediately. The few who were lucky to avoid the jutsu were about to avenge their fallen brethren when-

"Raigeki!" **[2]**

A green and dark blue blur crossed them, accompanied by the sound of buzzing before coming to a halt revealing Areku who held a spinning buzz saw of electricity in hand. The silver-haired then stared back at group of foreign ninja who were now lying lifeless on the ground, heads separated from their necks.

Kakashi resisted the urge to gulp at the brutality, "So you finally managed to create that Jutsu?" He finally asked after some seconds of silence. Areku just smiled and generated another buzz saw.

"Rakurai!" **[3]** He said tossing the circular saw at Kakashi who merely raised a brow then shunshin out of the way. An unsuspecting Oto nin who was trying to sneak up on the Cyclops got nailed by the attack and died instantly.

"Thanks." Kakashi said appearing beside the Kishida Jonin, "Years ago when you said that you will create an equivalent to my Raikiri I didn't believe you could it." Kakashi confessed tossing a shuriken at some Oto ninja, "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" The shuriken in a puff of smoke become fifty.

"Well it took me seven years to perfect, Lightning Style: Laser Gun!" Areku revealed blasting a Suna ninja with a beam of electricity, "Atsushi at the age of six stumbled upon the notes and learnt the watered version of the Rakurai which later become his signature move ever since."

"Looks like I will have to step up my game."

Areku chuckled lightly, "Afraid that I may surpass you?"

"No, I'm afraid our students will."

"Yeah, I believe it's time to drop the lazy sensei attitude."

"… I will."

[+]

|Outside the Barrier|

The ANBU squad could do nothing but watch the exchange inside as they waited for any sign that the barrier might be weakening. They had tried everything they could think of to break through, from firing jutsu to throwing kunai at the four keeping the barrier up. All they got in return were laughs at their futile attempts. A small cough behind them made them spin and drop into their fighting stances. The danger they now faced was one they hadn't expected. With arms crossed, a Jiraiya shadow clone stood across looking at the barrier. "Jiraiya-sama?"

"What's the condition inside?" C. Jiraiya asked, walking towards them.

"Hokage-sama is locked in battle with Orochimaru while Yosokage-san is up against the reanimations of the First and Second Hokages." The captain answered making the clone's eyes to widen.

'He revived the past Hokages using Edo Tensei?'

C. Jiraiya then tossed a scroll to the Captain, "Inside are numerous seals and instructions on how to apply said seals on the barrier temporally disabling it for the five of you get in and help."

"But Jiraiya-sama?" Another ANBU called, "Won't you be joining us?"

C. Jiraiya nodded negatively, "Sadly no as I'm merely a shadow clone so I won't be of much help than to activate the seals." The other ANBU nodded in understanding, the Captain began to hand out seals which his subordinates began to apply round the barrier.

[+]

**A/N: **Naruto and Hinata are still after Gaara, Shikamaru is going up against Temari (Again!), Atoniji is trying to keep his ground against the Sneju brothers while Hiruzen is trading blows with Orochimaru.

Luckily reinforcements are on the way.

[1] – Kunai Clone Jutsu (D rank): Sakura throws a Kunai at her opponent then casts a genjutsu on it giving her opponent the impression that the Kunai multiplied while in reality it hasn't.

[2] – Raigeki (Lightning Charge) (A – S rank): Areku creates a spinning buzz saw of electricity then charges at an opponent, its cutting power is almost equal in terms of Kakashi's Raikiri.

[3] – Rakurai (Lightning Toss) (B rank): A tossed version of the Raigeki, since it is tossed its cutting power is greatly reduced as it cuts then explodes on contact. Atsushi's version is called the Thunderbolt (Still Rakurai if translated) and is C rank since it isn't as powerful as the original.

Chaper 19: Is it over?

Total Number of Words: 5447 Words

Read & Review

Jamesco1292002


	19. Chapter 19

"Talking"

"Thoughts"

"SCREAMING/ YELLING/ SHOUTING"

"Jutsu"

"**Tailed Beast talking"**

"**Tailed Beast Thinking"**

**Sound effects**

**Date & Time**

|Location|

[Flashback]

[+]

**Chapter 19: Is it over?**

[+]

|Hidden Leaf Forest|

"**So… how are you holding up, kit?"** Kurama asked as Naruto sprinted after Gaara who was now being carried by the Suna Chunin, Daichi. Some meters behind Hinata had dropped back to take care of Kankuro as time was rapidly becoming their enemy.

'… I'm fine Kurama, let's just catch up to Gaara and put a stop to this madness.' Naruto replied back, clearly not in the mood for discussing.

'**Leaving the vixen behind must have been hard on the kit.' **The Kyubi thought to himself before keeping quiet.

[+]

|Up ahead|

Daichi continued to move through the forest, carrying the unconscious Gaara on his back. The Sunagakure chunin cursed as he sensed a chakra signature approaching him and it was the largest one, meaning that he or she would be able to defeat him easily and take Gaara.

'I just need to keep up my pace so I can get Gaara away and hide him somewhere where he can recover. When he does, he can become the demon and kill them then help with the invasion.' The man repeated to himself. 'Yea, that sounds right.'

As he started continued to think about his situation and what he was going to do, he felt movement on his back. Daichi stopped moving as he realized what was happening: Gaara was recovering from his shock and would be able to fight.

"Thank goodness." The man sighed in relief. "Now all I have to do is find a good-"

"**ALL WILL DIE SO THAT I CAN PROVE MY EXISTENCE!"** Gaara screamed, his voice booming with demonic fury.

The Chunin yelped then dropped Gaara as sand began to cover the right half of the Jinchuriki's body. Due to rapidly increasing amount of KI in the atmosphere Daichi quickly backpedalled towards the foliage for safety. Gaara got up on his feet and gave the Suna Chunin a sinister grin.

"G-Gaara, its g-good t-to see you are-" Daichi started to stutter.

"**Sand Shuriken!"**

The man screamed like a girl as he ran back towards the village while avoiding the sand projectiles after him.

"**Forget about him and ****begin with the preparations Gaara. The fox and his container are coming and I want to personally kill them with you."** Shukaku informed his jinchuriki.

"**Yes mother. Let's kill them ALL!"** Gaara screamed, his voice becoming even more similar to Shukaku's.

[+]

|Temari vs. Shikamaru|

"Ninja Art: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

Temari swung her fan in the direction of Shikamaru, causing a massive gust of sharp winds to come forwards the Nara. He jumped out of the way, causing the wind to hit the trees behind him destroying them. Seeing that she had missed the Suna kunoichi proceeded to swing her fan, using the same jutsu once again. Shikamaru, once again, was forced to jump out of the way to dodge the incoming gusts of wind. The tree branch he was on, along with the trees behind him, were cut up and destroyed once more.

The Nara heir went on the offensive and tossed a couple of kunai with explosive tags at the kunoichi who just swung her fan creating a gust of wind which sent the kunai back towards their sender. The shadow manipulator's eyes widened as he was forced, once again, to jump out of the way before the kunai made contact exploding into flames which proceeded to hit more trees, lighting them on fire and destroying the environment around them.

"Throwing weapons at a wind specialist like me won't work because I'll just blow them right back in your face just like I did to that weapon's girl in the preliminaries." Temari said lowering her fan.

'I figured.' Shikamaru grumbled in thought, 'Mom was right I do pick up more of our clan's jutsu.'

The Nara looked upwards toward Temari and noticed that there was a tree right behind her that was higher than her. He then tossed a kunai with an explosive tag directly at it. Temari raised her fan to block the kunai, but the weapon didn't even come close to hit her. Once the kunai made contact with the tree, it exploded, causing the tree to fall apart. The trunk of the tree then fell forward, directly towards Temari. Her eyes widened as she jumped out of the way and unconsciously closer to Shikamaru.

Seeing her getting close, Shikamaru quickly rushed forward jumping on the same tree branch Temari was on. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

Shikamaru's shadow shot directly towards the Suna kunoichi. The girl quickly noticed the approaching shadow and jumped off the tree branch, heading to another nearby branch. To her utmost surprise, the shadow continued to follow, extending past the tree branch it was on and floating over the air to reach the tree branch she was on.

_'So the shadows don't need to be on solid ground. It can be flexible and even move over the air if it needs to.'_ Temari made a mental note of this fact as she continued to move from tree branch to tree branch, avoiding the Shikamaru's shadow as it followed her. The Nara concentrated more chakra into the technique which made his shadow to stretch longer.

Tired of running away Temari proceeded to swing her fan directly at Shikamaru, creating another set of sharp gusts of wind heading towards him. To avoid the attack, Shikamaru was forced to cancel his jutsu and jump away from the wind.

Seeing that his shadow had stopped chasing her, Temari took the moment to charge Shikamaru. The girl jumped directly at him and swung her fan at him as if it were a staff. The Nara was forced to use a kunai knife to block her fan. Immediately afterward, Temari's heavier fan overpowered him and his kunai. The knife was knocked away and Shikamaru was momentarily stunned. Temari took this moment to swing her fan again, causing it to collide against the Konoha genin's stomach who gasped then went up in a puff of smoke revealing a log.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

Temari had no time to react as she was quickly frozen on spot.

"Gotcha." She heard Shikamaru say behind her, "Now for the finish, Shadow Strangle-"

**Crack!**

The tree branch the Suna girl was standing on suddenly cracked then broke off, freeing her from Shikamaru's hold as she fell downwards. Temari managed to get over the shock and actually jump away before the branch could hit the ground, the fan user landed on another branch of a separate tree and heaved a sigh of relief before giving the Nara an amused smile.

"You almost had me." She acknowledged, "You're pretty good."

"Normally I'll be grateful for the compliment, but not when it's coming from a traitor." Shikamaru replied, causing Temari to frown. "So what happened? Why is your village attacking ours? The two villages are under an alliance and last time I checked allies don't attack one another!"

Temari remained silent for a few seconds before sighing. "I don't really know why my village is attacking yours. I'm just a simple shinobi who woke up one morning and was told that we will be invading Konoha during the Chunin exams. And since I have pledged my loyalty to Suna, I had no choice than to go along with the plan even if it means fighting you in battle against my wishes." She answered as she gripped her fan tightly, preparing for her next attack.

"… Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered before glancing back at the girl. "I guess I get it. You're just following orders given to you like any shinobi would, so I will follow mine and stop you!"

[+]

|Kankuro vs. Hinata|

Kankuro made a pushing gesture with his hands, causing Karasu to fly towards through the air towards Hinata. Hidden blades appeared on the palms of the puppet. It attempted to slice at Hinata with the blades, but the Hyuga jumped backwards to avoid the attack. The puppet, however, continued its pursuit of the girl, making another attempt to cut her with its blade. Hinata, this time, side-stepped and dodged the puppet. She moved herself directly behind the puppet and cut through the chakra strings with a chop. The puppet, without its connection, slumped over on the tree branch. With the connection destroyed and the puppet being useless, Hinata turned her attention towards Kankuro and charged.

"Palm Bottom!" Hinata called as she slammed an open palm into the puppeteer's gut only for him to be replaced by a log, _'Substitution?'_ Hinata thought then noticed something in her extended vision. "What?"

A full functional Karasu had charged behind her and the Hyuga heiress was forced to jump out of the way or be grabbed by the puppet. Karasu turned its head in her direction and spat out a series of senbon which Hinata avoided.

Kankuro frowned at the failed surprise attack then made a gesture with his index and ring finger on his right hand, causing Karasu to release another barrage of senbon from its mouth. Hinata jumped out of the way and onto another branch then clapped her hands together before slowing separating them. Kankuro raised a brow at the whitish ball forming between her palms and sent Karasu after her, the Hyuga once avoided all the senbon needles fired towards her while making sure that she didn't lose concentration.

After some seconds of dodging Hinata took aim and fired, "Eight Trigrams: Chakra Bomb!" Not wanting to see what that would do to his puppet, Kankuro withdrew Karasu but wasn't fast enough to avoid the shockwave which knocked off its head and limbs from the body.

Seeing that the puppet was, at the moment, unable to fight her off, the girl charged again at Kankuro. On her way through the branches, she fired off a series of Vacuum palms at the boy, preventing him from making the concentration necessary to piece together his puppet. The Suna Genin cursed as he was forced to concentrate on avoiding her attacks instead of fixing Karasu.

In a few seconds, Hinata finally landed on the same tree branch as Kankuro. The girl rushed him, her palms extended. Kankuro jumped backwards to avoid an attack to his stomach and countered by pulling out a purple ball from his pocket and dropping it on the tree branch releasing a poisonous smoke.

Hinata's eyes widened as she jumped away to avoid inhaling the smoke, as did Kankuro who also jumped backwards to another tree branch. Seeing that he had recreated distance between himself and Hinata, he made a few gestures with his fingers to create more chakra strings. The pieces of Karasu that had been knocked off reconnected with each other and reformed the puppet whole.

"It's gonna take a lot more than that to defeat a puppeteer!" Kankuro taunted, gripping his fist tightly. Karasu mimicked the actions of its puppeteer.

"I can see that…" Hinata mumbled in response before staring at the Suna Genin with determination in her eyes. "But I'll defeat you and your puppet and get back to my friends. I won't let you or your village due anything to them, or to Konoha!"

Kankuro just replied by using Karasu to fire another series of projectiles this time Kunai marked with explosive tags.

[+]

|Stadium Rooftop, Outside the Barrier|

"Is everyone in position?" C. Jiraiya asked, his right hand hovering over the activation seal.

"Hai!" The ANBUs answered.

"Don't forget that once I activate the seal you only have 30 seconds before the seals deactivate so make the best of it." He informed before placing his hand on the seal activating it, "Ninja Art: Four Flames Perforation!" The seal glowed blue then white before a line of chakra shot out to other seals which started to glow before shooting out their own chakra lines into the barrier which began to gain a reddish color.

[+]

|Inside the Barrier|

The fighting inside took a pause as everyone took note of the barrier's sudden change in color, Orochimaru glanced over and saw the seals battling against the barrier.

"Jiraiya!" The Sannin hissed as he spotted the figure holding up the seal.

"Seems like your barrier is weakening, Orochimaru." Hiruzen smirked.

The Snake Sannin snarled at his former teacher, "It may be weakening but the fool's seals will never break through as I know what he is capable of."

The Hokage's smirk just grew wider, "Didn't I teach you never to underestimate your enemy?"

"Oh please that pervert can never-" Orochimaru was interrupted as openings abruptly appeared all over the barrier, "WHAT?"

The five ANBU agents bolted through the openings just before they closed up and the barrier returned to its original color.

"Hokage-sama, how may we be of assistance?" The ANBU captain asked while Orochimaru gritted his teeth at the fact that he was outnumbered once again but this time 7 to 3.

"Leave Orochimaru to me, you all should assist Atoniji-dono with revived Kages." With a cry of 'Hai' the ANBU were gone.

"You sure it was wise to send them away?" Orochimaru asked with a sickening smile, "With their help you had a greater chance of defeating me."

"Doesn't matter all I know is that you're not leaving here ALIVE!" Hiruzen declared, before charging at his former student.

[+]

|Other Stadium Rooftop Battle|

Using the distraction created by the flickering barrier Atoniji nailed the two revived Kages with a comet sized fireball but as usual they regenerated right from the ashes like a phoenix and attacked forcing the Yosokage on the defensive once again, he may be an S rank Kage but against two SS rank shinobi he seemed like a Jonin.

'If I survive this battle I will definitely declare Fuinjutsu lessons compulsory.' Atoniji thought before dodging another water dragon, "Fire Style: Intelligent Hardwork!"

"Water Style: Water Encampment Wall!" Hashirama spewed out a watery barrier which neutralized the fireballs.

"Water Style: Giant Vortex!" At Tobirama's cry water from both the atmosphere and the previous water jutsu formed into a giant twister.

'Such incredible mastery over water.' Atoniji stared in awe before realizing that the twister was heading towards him. Just as he brought his hands together for a hand seal five voices behind him bellowed…

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Five comet sized fireballs collided the twister releasing stream, the cyan-haired Yosokage gave a nod of gratitude to the five ANBU behind him.

"Yosoakge-dono, how may we be of assistance?"

"You guys are familiar with wood style right?" He received a nod from the ANBU Captain, "Then by all means take care of the First while I and the Second here have our splash-fest!" With that was said Atoniji using the shunshin appeared directly behind Tobirama, an orb of water forming in hand.

"Water Style: Ripping Torrent!" The orb was slammed onto the decreased Kage's back before it expanded into a horizontal waterspout which tore into Tobirama.

[+]

|Hidden Leaf Forest|

Naruto arrived at a clearing in the middle of the forest, and before him sitting on a branch was his target but now having a tail and a large right hand made of sand.

"Gaara." Naruto simply said.

"Naruto" Gaara returned before a dark look spread across his face, "Mother wants me to devour you for what you did earlier to me, and so I will." With that Gaara flung himself at the Leaf Genin who jumped on tree avoiding him, "Stop running away and let me kill you! Sand Shuriken!"

"Yeah right! Wind Style: Gale Palm!" The sand projectiles were instantly disintegrated.

"Sand Shower!" The Uzumaki fled the tree as a sand hailstorm impacted it reducing it to wood splinters and debris, Gaara glanced around but couldn't find his target, "Stop hiding Uzumaki, come out and fight me! Give me a real fight so that I may feel alive!"

"If you wanted to feel alive you should have just said so." Naruto's voice rang out from seemingly everywhere, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Suddenly several Naruto's rushed out of the foliage and kicked the Suna Genin into the air, one after another.

"NA"

"RU"

"TO"

"U"

"ZU"

"MA"

"KI"

As Gaara was stuck hanging in the air a wave of orange revealed itself from the leaves above. Countless Shadow Clones from Naruto descended with their fists and feet cocked to strike, "Naruto Uzumaki 2K Barrage!" They unleashed an overwhelming amount of physical offense on Gaara, driving him back into the ground hard and forming a massive crater.

'You think that did it?' Naruto asked his tenant.

"**Knowing Shukaku, then no."**

Kurama was right as seconds later, in an explosion of sand Gaara rose up from the crater seething with anger and excitement as sand covered the other half of his body.

"That's it Uzumaki, show me more of your power."

'Is this guy nuts?'

"**Do you seriously want me to answer that?" **Kurama answered.

"Giant Sand Bullet Ball!"

'This again?' Naruto thought before spewing a fox-shaped fireball which effectively neutralized the attack but the sand comet was just a distraction for Gaara's next attack.

"Wind Style: Infinite Sandstorm Devastation!" Multiple mouths appeared all over the Sand Genin's body before a releasing a ferocious wind which ripped through the trees causing all of the shadow clones to instantly disperse and Naruto to fly away from his spot and into a tree.

"Ow. That hurt." The blond mumbled as he rubbed the back of his head in an effort to lessen the pain, the Uzumaki then pulled off a quick substitution as a sand hand collided with the tree shattering it.

"Where are you Uzumaki?" Gaara asked after seeing that his sand hand hit nothing but wood.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Fifteen clones jumped out from the foliage and charged as the Suna Jinchuriki's eye twitched in annoyance.

"Sand Shower!" The clones ran helter-skelter in order to avoid the sand rain but after a few seconds were all dispelled, one even attempted to sneak up behind but got dispelled after being run through the chest by a sand spear which spouted from Gaara's back. "Stop hiding behind your clones Uzumaki! Come out and fight me like a man!"

"Ok." Naruto stepped out from the tree he was hiding behind making Gaara to blink then grin darkly but that soon turned into a look of confusion when the blonde grinned back, 'Three… Two… One…'

**Boom!**

The dust settled revealing a still-standing but distorted and slightly burnt Gaara who had his sand sliding off his body, 'When… When did he place that tag?'

"You probably wondering when I placed that tag right?" Naruto asked before answering the question, "Remember that clone that snuck up behind you? Well that clone succeeded in slapping an explosive tag on your back just above the tail before it was run through and thanks of the thickness of your sand armor you didn't notice until it was too late."

"… It seems I might need some help in order to prove my existence."

The Uzumaki raised a brow at the statement until a low rumbling sound was heard, senses kicking in Naruto jumped onto a tree branch as sand exploded directly from where was seconds ago but the sand didn't go after him, no it went towards Gaara engulfing him before towering towards the sky forming a giant Tanuki made entirely of sand.

Naruto stared wide-eyed at Tanuki, 'That's Shukaku?'

Kurama nodded, **"Yes it is."**

Seeing that Shukaku still hadn't moved, Naruto observed him a bit more and while observing he noticed Gaara was on top of the biju with half of his body submerged within the biju's head. The red-haired made a hand seal then hang his head as if he has fallen asleep. Immediately the giant tanuki began to move as a crazed laughter boomed across the clearing.

"**I'M FINALLY OUT!"**

[+]

|Back at the Stadium|

After the civilians were evacuated away, the rest of the Rookie 10 joined the fray doing their best to assist their Jonin-senseis and fellow Konoha nin.

Ino used her Mind Transfer Jutsu to take over a Sand nin and then caused confusion among their ranks, the distraction was all Choji needed to roll over them with his Human Boulder Technique. Sakura caught a couple of Oto nin under a genjutsu before joining Eito in knocking them unconscious. Tenten and Neji (Who had recovered from Hinata's 64 palms) were in medical wing taking care of their share of Oto nin who were after the medical staff.

"Chakra Blade: Straight Line!" Three Oto nin had their bodies severed from waist level, "That's makes 13!" Asuma shouted.

"15!" Kurenai replied as slit the throats of five Oto nin caught in her genjutsu, "You must be losing you touch Asuma."

The Chain-smoker snorted then redoubled his efforts. "Fire Style: Burning Ash!" Seven invader nin were caught in the smoke cloud before it exploded.

In another part of the Arena floor, Gai in the Fifth Gate served up a devastating dish of Morning Peacock on an Invader nin foolish enough to engage him, some after witnessing the beat-down being dished on their counterparts tried to evade the taijutsu maniac but were unlucky as said maniac spotted them.

"**Ichiban Star!"** Right in front of the Captain's eye Gai vanished.

**HUYAH!**

Turning behind he located Gai collide into three of his men before blasting them upwards, then reappearing behind them and delivering a savage kick to spine launching them forwards where he reappeared once again this time nailing a vicious punch to their ribcage which sent them backwards. This went on four more times before Gai appeared right above them and finished up with a downward blow to their abdomen rocketing the three down to Earth like a flaming asteroid from Outer Space.

After observing this, the Captain drew his Kunai and slit his own throat thus taking the easy way out.

[+]

|Hidden Leaf Forest|

Shukaku once done with his morning stretches which resulted in some trees being knocked down, glanced down at the boy in front of him and smirked.

"Hey there Kurama-kun! Still trapped in your cage I see… Oh! And how's the view from way down there?" He asked crackling with laughter at the last part.

Naruto frowned at this while his tenant growled within the Uzumaki's mindscape, **"Okay kit, he's asking for it."**

The blonde nodded and was engulfed by red chakra, this of course gained the sand tanuki's attention causing him to look on curiously, once the transformation into his two tailed state was complete Naruto bit his right thumb drawing blood then slammed his hand on the ground.

"Great Summoning: Kyubi no Kitsune!"

**BOOM!**

[+]

|Hokage Great Stone Faces, Evacuation Centre|

All life seemly froze as a vile chakra which hadn't been felt in 13 years resurfaced. The adults ran up and down in fright while children looked on with confusion while being held by their mothers.

"Oh NO!"

"It's the Kyubi!"

"It's back!"

"Run for your lives!"

"We're doomed!"

Well let's just say the centre descended into total panic.

[+]

|With the Others|

Sasuke and Atsushi were busy tying up their captives after a lengthy fight against them, four against seven weren't good odds and how they managed to win only Kami knew.

Just as the two were finishing up, a large amount of demonic chakra was felt causing the four Genin to tense up.

"Where is it coming from?" Himari asked, looking around fearfully.

"That will be our teammate, Naruto." Atsushi answered calmly.

The Kishida girl blinked, fear now replaced with curiosity. "The cute whiskered one?" All three boys just stared at her, "What? He is!" The girl squealed out now blushing with embarrassment.

'She's lucky Hinata isn't around.' Atsushi and Sasuke thought.

"Anyway," Lee began, "Shouldn't we be going after the others?"

The other three Genin nodded before they all went after the rest, while on the way Atsushi suddenly remembered something that occurred during the preliminaries.

"Hey Himari?" He called the girl running beside him

"Yea." The Bojutsu user answered, facing him.

"I kinda forgot to ask but why did Banri forfeit his match against Neji?" That particular event had been bugging him and Naruto for the past one month.

"Oh that…" Himari glanced at Sasuke and Lee who were ahead be returning back to Atsushi, "You've studied on Pseudo-Kishidans right?" She whispered.

The boy's eyes widened, "He's one." He received a nod in reply. "Well that explains it." Pseudo-Kishidans were a special group of Kishidans in Arashigakure. **[1]**

"When the match was fixed, it was remaining about a week or so before his chakra adjusted to his body hence making him a full-pledged Kishida but at that time he's chakra was still acting up so he had to forfeit the match or risk permanent damage to his chakra network." Himari explained further.

"If it was against anyone else he would haven't forfeited, but against a Hyuga where the chances of having a chakra point blocked are high he had no choice." Atsushi summed feeling sorry for the guy.

[+]

|Hidden Leaf Forest, Main Battle|

Out of the white smoke came orange fur, four limbs, gigantic teeth with razor sharp fangs and importantly nine swishing tails capable of leveling mountains with a single swing.

Shukaku recognized the figure as his self proclaimed arch-rival, **'Kurama!' **He growled mentally.

Said fox stretched a bit since it had been decades since he had been outside in this form, **"You okay kit?"**

Naruto stood atop the fox's head panting heavily, summoning Kyubi had reverted him back to his zero tailed mode, "Yea, just give me a minute to catch my breath."

"**How are you out of the seal Kurama?"** Shukaku growled. **"And why are all buddy-buddy with your container?"**

"**How I'm out is none of your concern," **Kurama shot back, **"As from the second one he's different."**

Shukaku snorted, **"All humans are the same, and I don't see what makes him so different from the rest?"**

"**For one he's does see me as a weapon of mass destruction, he actually asks before using my chakra and finally he allows me to roam freely."**

"**Roam? What do you mean?" **The Ichibi asked, a part of him curious to what that meant.

"**I roam in his pocked dimension, sometimes outside in the village."** The Fox shrugged.

"**You know what I have heard enough, time to DIE!"** Shukaku yelled as he opened his mouth, **"Wind Style: Giant Air Bullets!" **Giant balls of wind were fired but Kurama just deflected them with his tails.

"**You're obsessed with fighting me even though you won't win, Fire Style: Fox Fire Flame Bombs!"** Kurama spewed out a stream of orange fire on tanuki's lower half turning it into glass.

"**I will kill you for that! SAND HAIL!"** Sand was launched into the atmosphere before falling down onto the forest.

"**Like I haven't heard that before, Tailed Beast Shockwave!" **The giant fox let out a fierce roar disintegrating the sand clump projectiles.

[+]

|Stadium Rooftop Battle, Hiruzen vs, Orochimaru|

"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullets!"

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

Orochimaru seethed as he was dodged another combination jutsu from Hiruzen. The Sannin hadn't been able to nail a decisive blow on the old Kage. If that wasn't enough the five ANBU agents had somehow managed to defeat and seal Hashirama (Who became distracted at the resurfacing of Kyubi's chakra) and were now assisting Atoniji with Tobirama.

The Snake Sannin was now realizing his mistake by sealing most of their strength.

'No matter I just to kill the old coot and my work here is done.' Orochimaru thought before releasing several large snakes from his sleeves, "Multi Shadow Striking Snakes!"

Hiruzen used Fire Style: Dragon Fire and incinerated the reptiles, "Running out of tricks Orochimaru?" The Kage asked before calling out his next Jutsu, "Earth Style: Bedrock Coffin!"

Two slabs of rock rose up around Orochimaru before closing in squishing Sannin, the Sarutobi cancelled the Jutsu but instead of seeing the flattened corpse of his student he found a pile of sawdust.

"DIE!" Hiruzen whipped around and blocked the strike from Grass Cutter with his staff, soon the two was engaged in a heated battle of Kenjutsu. The Snake Sannin stabbed forward with his sword, intending on running his former sensei through. The aged Hokage turned to the side before he swept Orochimaru's feet out from under him and brought his staff down on his ex-student's chest several times turning it into paste.

Orochimaru opened his mouth wide and sent out a snake that surprised Hiruzen, allowing the Snake Master to slither away to regurgitate himself once more. Except this time, as soon as he exited his former skins mouth, he was engulfed in a fireball that burned him badly.

When the flames dispersed, Orochimaru was badly burned, his hair was almost completely burnt off, his skin charred, and parts of him looked melted. He shed his skin again, but this time it took longer than before, a sign of his chakra getting lower.

It was then that he lost his connection to Tobirama signifying that he had also been defeated, 'What... How could this be?' Orochimaru hissed, there were too many wrenches tossed into the plan – Jiraiya's clone tampering with the barrier, the sudden increase in power of Minato's brat, the presence of the Yosokage and the ANBU. 'Forget this if Danzo wants the Hokage hat he can take it himself.'

"Drop the barrier!" As that was being done, Orochimaru bit his right thumb in preparation for a Summoning Jutsu.

[+]

|Hidden Leaf Forest|

"Is there a way we can defeat him without destroying the forest?" Naruto asked, knowing that Kurama wasn't using his full power unlike the time he fought against those mystical creatures the Uzumaki usually conjured up in his mindscape for the fox's amusement.

"**We need to wake up the brat." **Kurama growled out before destroying another barrage of sand projectiles with his roar. "**Once he is awake, Shukaku will be forced back into the seal." **He slammed six of his tails down on the ground disrupting a sand wave.

Naruto looked at the Tanuki's head for any sign of the Suna Jinchuriki, "I can't find Gaara!"

"**He should be on top of the head,"** Kurama explained, **"Hidden under all that sand."**

"If so then that means I will have to go up close to wake him up, and Shukaku won't allow that!" The blonde pointed

"**I have a way around that."** Kurama grinned with a sadistic grin which reminded Naruto of the one Anko usually wore.

"**Earth Attack Claw!"** Kurama declared slamming his fore limbs deep into the ground while placing his tails just over his head. The fox's arms resurfaced under Shukaku, tearing the sand tanuki's arms off in the process.

"**MY ARMS! I'LL KILL-"**

"**Nine-Tailed Cannon Blast!"** Nine chakra beams shot out of the Kyubi's tail tips (One for each tail) and into Shukaku's open mouth where they exploded violently blasting the biju against the bark of large tree where he lay seemingly disoriented.

Naruto stood speechless on top the fox's head not knowing whether to laugh out loud or stare in awe at what just happened, he was soon plunged out of his indecisiveness when one of Kurama tails wrapped around his waist and lifted him upwards.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

"**Shukaku won't stay limp for long, so hurry up and form a Vermillion Art."** **[2]**

The blonde nodded then quickly formed a ball of chakra between his palms but unlike Hinata's which is white in color his was orange thanks to Kurama's chakra being used.

"**Aim for the forehead and fire!"**

"Vermillion Art: Chakra Beam Blast!" The front part of the ball exploded outwards letting out an orange beam which crashed onto biju's head creating a large crater plus a large cloud of sand. "Hey I can see Gaara!" Kurama looked on and also located the boy.

"**Good, now go wake up the brat!" **With that bark Naruto was flung towards Shukaku or more precisely the crater on his head.

The Uzumaki landed with a 'thud' creating a gust of wind which blew over the tanuki's head, after regaining his bearing he stood up to glare at his companion only to find a large cloud of smoke showing that Kurama had already returned to the seal.

'Stupid fox…'

'**Hey! I heard that!'**

Naruto resisted the urge to sweat drop and looked around, 'Okay, where's… Bingo!' Gaara's head and upper torso was just a few feet away in direction of his right. The Uzumaki walked over to his fellow Jinchuriki then squatted down in front of him, 'Time for the wakeup call-'

"**Ugh! What hit me?"** Shukaku unknowingly interrupted.

Eyes widening Naruto quickly connected a chakra enhanced fist to Gaara's jaw making a sickening cracking sound.

Gaara's eyes snapped open and the Ichibi's body began to fall apart.

"**NOOO! I WAS JUST RELEASED!"** Shukaku screamed as he was forced back in his seal, the two boys on top the head fell on onto the pool of sand that used to be Shukaku, pain and fatigue finally setting in.

After some seconds Naruto stood up demonic chakra now gone and walked towards Gaara, causing the Suna genin's eyes to widen in fear.

"No! Stay back." He shouted in fear, "I won't let you to end my existence." He began to back way.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Naruto asked, causing Gaara to stop, "The pain of loneliness, having everyone ignore your existence and wish you would simply disappear."

"How do you know that?" Gaara asked weakly.

"Because I experienced it too, but the situation got better when I found those precious to me." Naruto smiled at the thought of those who had always been there for him, "What makes me strong is that I have people I want to protect and in turn they also want to protect me, that's the reason why I beat you."

"So the reason why you are strong is because you fight for those precious to you?" Gaara got out.

"Exactly." Naruto said as he took another step, this time Gaara didn't take a step backwards, "It's not too late for you, Gaara. You can find those precious people in your life. There are people out there for you to care about and who in turn will also care about you. Show everybody that you're Gaara not the demon they think you are."

"I-I… Thank you Naruto Uzumaki." The boy said, his voice weak and surprisingly soft.

"Don't mention it." Naruto then rubbed the back of his head, "Now that I beat you and all, what are you going to do?"

"My village is probably defeated and I need to make sure that my brother and sister are still alive." Gaara said as he struggled to stand up, succeeding just barely.

"I'm pretty-" Naruto couldn't finish as he was tackled to ground and embraced in hug by a certain Hyuga.

"Naruto-kun! You're okay." Hinata exclaimed, with tears threatening to spill out.

"Hinata..." Naruto got out in shock before spotting the others behind her, "You're all okay."

"Of course we are." Atsushi said, him and Lee supporting a tired Shikamaru between their shoulders. "We caught up to Shikamaru and Hinata before coming over here."

Naruto nodded, looking over the unconscious and tied up forms of Temari and Kankuro.

"I see you managed to defeat Gaara." Sasuke said as he spotted the Suna Jinchuriki who looked a lot more subdued than usual.

Naruto sat up in a sitting pose and grinned, "Was there any doubt?"

"No."

"That must have been one youthful battle, Naruto-kun!" Lee said energetically, "I wish I was here to see it."

'Trust me you wouldn't.' The blonde thought.

"So what do we do about them?" Himari gestured to Gaara and his siblings who seemed to be coming around.

"Gaara has surrendered so we just have to take both him and his siblings back to the village." They all turned to Gaara for confirmation.

"It's okay, we will stand trial for the crimes we committed." Both Leaf and Storm nin released the breath they didn't know they holding.

"Come let's get back home."

After 3 hours of continuous fighting, they all needed some rest.

[+]

Stats (Ranking System)

Academy Student: E Rank

Genin: D Rank

Chunin: C Rank

Special Jonin: C – B Rank

Jonin: A Rank

ANBU: A – S Rank

Kage: S – SSS Rank

**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed this because it was really difficult coming up with a Shukaku vs. Kurama fight and I hope I did justice to that.

Next update will be slow (My apologies in advance) but it will be posted.

[1] – Pseudo-Kishidans are actual non-Kishidans who underwent a ritual to become Full-pledged Kishidans but with some limitations placed on them. (Won't be going into detail for now)

[2] – Vermillion Arts are collection of Jutsu available to Naruto only when he using Kurama's chakra or in his tailed state. Chakra Bomb and Chakra Beam Blast are among these jutsu but Hinata knows the former due to Naruto explaining the mechanisms to her on one occasion hence the Eight Trigrams: Chakra Bomb was created.

Chaper 20: Recovery

Total Number of Words: 6222 Words

Read & Review

Jamesco1292002


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